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•«l 


A LITTLE LEAVEN 


A MISSIONARY STORY 


BY 




ELIZABETH E. HOLDING 



NEIV YORK: HUNT EA TON 
CINCINNA TI: CRANSTON STOIVE 
i8qo 




Copyright, 1890, by 
HUNT & EATON, 


New York. 


TO 

MY BROTHERS, 

JAMES, ROBERT, AND CARLISLE, 
AND MY SISTER, 

RACHEL, 

THIS LITTLE STORY IS LOVINGLY 

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CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER I. picB 

That Nickel Fund 7 

CHAPTER II. 

New Experiences 23 

CHAPTER HI. 

Real Wonders 41 

CHAPTER IV. 

Different Opinions 53 

CHAPTER V. 

Another Friend 62 

CHAPTER VI. 

A Committee Meeting 77 

CHAPTER VII. 

Trials 90 

CHAPTER VHI. 

New Plans 100 

CHAPTER IX. 

A Visit 114 


6 


Contents, 


Surprises 

CHAPTER X. PAGE! 

Heart Life 

CHAPTER XL 

Old Truths 

CHAPTER XII. 


CHAPTER XIIL 


A Thank-Offering i8o 


A Lesson 

CHAPTER XIV. 

The Dedication. 

CHAPTER XV. 

Missionaries . . . . 

CHAPTER XVI. 


CHAPTER XVIL 


Last Words 


243 


A LITTLE LEAVEN 


CHAPTER I. 

THAT NICKEL FUND. 

t T was a cold afternoon in early November. 
A few disconsolate leaves still clung to 
the trees, but their hold was very uncertain 
in the spiteful little gusts of wind, and the 
frosty air nipped fingers and ears, giving more 
than a hint of winter. If one was warmly 
cloaked and hooded, it was very agreeable to 
meet the bit of resistance in the air; but if one 
had to startd on the corner, as a certain little 
waif did, with no stockings on her blue feet, 
nor shoes, either, worth speaking of, with a 
little old shawl not half large enough to cover 
even the very small body, and with no pros- 
pect of being warm again till summer suns 
shone — for such a one it was a very disagree- 
able afternoon. 

A young lady walked rapidly down the broad 


8 


A Little Leaven. 


avenue, passing so near the little waif that her 
seal-skin sacque brushed the child’s blue fin- 
gers. She did not seem to notice her, but, 
hurrying on, she ran briskly up the stone steps 
of one of the many handsome houses, and 
gave the door-bell a vigorous ring. She was 
evidently no stranger in the house, for she 
brushed past the servant who admitted her, and 
flew up the stairs. Pausing only for a tap at 
the door, she entered a room where two other 
girls were seated before a glowing grate. 

“ How lazy you look,” she exclaimed, as she 
seated herself with a bounce that made the 
plumes on her hat nod furiously. 

“ Dear me, Helen,” said one of the girls 
with a shiver, “ you bring so much cold with 
you ! ” 

‘‘Cold!” said Helen. “You don’t know 
what it is to be cold. You should have seen a 
bit of a girl that I saw out there on the corner. 
I was strongly tempted to bring her right in 
here with me.” 

“ Why didn’t you ? ” said the dainty maiden 
curled up in the luxurious rocking-chair. 

“To tell the truth, I was afraid of Delle,” she 
replied, mischievously. “ There's no knowing 


That Nickel Fund. 


9 

what I may do, though, now that Fve taken 
up Christian work. 

“ Taken up Christian work ! Since when ? ” 
asked the girl in the chair. 

“ O, about twenty minutes ago,” answered 
Helen, laughing. “ Just look at this ! ” and she 
drew from the envelope a letter written on the 
typewriter, and began to read : 


“ ‘ Chicago, III. 

‘‘‘Dear Friend: May I ask you to read 
carefully the two little circulars which I send 
with this? It will not take five minutes, and 
every woman ought to know about, and be in- 
terested in, this great movement for the better 
preparation of women for religious work.’ ” 

“ You have been interested in such work so 
long,” put in Kate. 

But Helen read soberly on. 

“ ‘ Then after you have read them I want to 
ask you to help us in raising money for our 
building. Our plan is simple, and we believe it 
is sure to succeed. It is only to gather up the 
littles that nobody will miss. But now we 
want to find the gatherers. Will you be one ? 
We send out, to all who will take them, little 


10 


A Little Leaven. 


Nickel Fund subscription books, by means 
of which our friends can gather ‘‘ names and 
nickels.” If five thousand women will take 
these books and each get one hundred names 
at a nickel apiece, the sum we want, $25,000, 
will be raised. Will you be one of the five 
thousand? Understand, you are not pledged 
to raise five dollars — though many ladies will 
do much more — ’ ” 

“ I suppose some of them will raise as much 
as six,” laughed Kate again — 

“ ‘ Nor any other sum, but only to raise as 
much as you can, and so put a few stones at least 
in the building. Keep your little book always 
by you, carry it in your hand-bag or Bible, and 
ask every body you know — on the street-cars, 
at social gatherings, at close of meetings, at 
visits and calls. The only caution I have to 
give is, Keep at it. Be patient and persistent 
and prayerful, and you cannot help but suc- 
ceed. Will you try ? Shall I send you one of 
the subscription books? If so, send me a 
postal-card at once. 

“ * And when we get our new building — for I 
am sure we shall get it — I hope many of those 
to whom I send this letter, and many of their 


That Nickel Fund. 


II 


friends, will come to study with us — some to 
learn more of the precious word of God for 
home work, and some to carry it to the desti- 
tute places at home and abroad, and so to 
hasten the coming of the Kingdom.” 

“ ‘ Yours, in a blessed service, 

“ ‘ Lucy Rider Meyer.’ 


Now, isn’t it a joke?” said Helen, folding 
the letter ; “ how in the world it ever happened 
to come to me I don’t know. What do you 
think of it ? ” 

“ It is a queer letter,” said Delle Prescott. 

‘‘ You ought to have had it, Delle,.” said Kate, 
“ you’re a church member.” Whereupon Helen 
and Kate both laughed. 

Fm sure I don’t know what you’re laughing 
at,” said Delle, flushing; ‘Ht is very proper to 
belong to the Church. It helps one in a great 
many ways. I should think more of you both 
if you were church members.” 

“Well, I don’t suppose we ever shall be. 
At least I never expect to be,” said Helen. 
“ But, I tell you what, girls: I am going to write 
for one of those Nickel Fund books. I see 
lots of fun in it. I’ll make that little woman’s 


12 


A Little Leaven. 


heart warm for once. She won’t know but I’m 
the most devoted Christian.” 

“You don’t mean that you are really going 
to do it?” asked Kate. 

“ Of course I do ; why not ? ” 

“ I don’t see how you can have the face to 
ask for nickels,” said Delle. * 

“ O, I’ve the face to do any thing. That is 
just the fun, to my mind. But, my dear child,” 
she added, in a comically patronizing tone, “ I 
hope you don’t think I am always going to ask 
for nickels.” She rose and drew her seal-skin 
cloak about her and snapped the golden clasps. 
“ If you girls are content to live idle lives, all 
right ; but I must be of some use in the world,” 
she said, laughingly. “ I came expecting sym- 
pathy, but I see I’m to get none. Nevermind ; 
I’ll call on you after the book arrives, and, 
Delle, I don’t see how you’ll have the face to 
give me only a nickel.” 

“What does she mean anyway?” asked 
Delle Prescott after Helen had left them. 

“I’m sure I don’t know,” answered Kate, 
looking as if she would relish the fun at 
any rate. “ I don’t know what she means half 
the time. She has left one of her circulars 


That Nickel Fund. 


13 


behind.” She stooped and picked up from the 
floor a leaflet that had fallen from Helen’s care- 
less fingers. “ ‘ The Nickel Fund for a building 
for the Woman’s Bible and Training School,’ ” 
reading from the leaflet. “ It must be a queer 
school if they study the Bible all the time. 
Here’s something specially for you, Delle. 
When the tabernacle was built, thirty-four 
centuries ago, the people came, ‘ as many as 
were willing-hearted, and brought bracelets and 
ear-rings and rings, all jewels of gold, and they 
made the laver of brass of the looking-glasses 
of the women assembling.’ That is taken from 
the Bible, I guess,” commented Kate. “ It 
says ‘ Exod. xxxv, 22.’ ” 

Then reading again, “ ^ O for some such wave 
of willing-heartedness to sweep over Christian 
women to-day ! If the bushels of unused 
jewelry belonging to the women of our Church 
to-day — the surplus cast-off trinkets laid away 
in jewel cases — if these could be brought, how 
quickly could the foundations of the building be 
laid in them ! Paul’s direction was, “ Let every 
one of you give.” If every one would only 
give some thing, no matter how little ! then 
there would be money enough and to spare.’ ” 


4 


A Little Leaven. 


“ I declare,” exclaimed Kate, “ if I was a 
Christian and believed the Bible, and all such 
things. I’d give my money. I know I would. 
I think it’s mean not to. Do you give any 
thing, Delle?” 

‘‘Papa gives liberally. You know we rent 
one of the best pews in the church.” 

“ Have you a Bible, Delle ? I want to see if 
I can find any thing about that tabernacle.” 

After considerable hunting a Bible was found 
and Kate began a vigorous search for “ Exod. 

XXXV, 22.” 

“ Where do you suppose it can be? Here’s 
Matthew and John and Malachi, and here’s 
Psalms too; but I declare I don’t see any 
Exodus. You ought to know, Delle. I suppose 
you read the Bible once in a while, don’t you ? 
I hope you don’t have as much trouble finding 
your place as I do. Here it is — away over in 
the front ; who would ever have thought of 
looking there ? ” 

“ How you do run on,” said Delle. “ If you 
had given me a chance, I could have told you 
that Exodus is along in the first of the Bible.” 

Kate made no reply, for she was deep in the 
account of the free gifts for the tabernacle. 


That Nickel Fund. 


15 


“Just listen, Delle. It says: ‘ They came, 
every man whose heart stirred him up, and 
every one whom his spirit made willing. ’ Isn ’t 
that nice? Why that is just the way I always 
thought people ought to feel — willing, you 
know.” 

“What you always thought! I didn’t sup- 
pose you ever thought on such subjects,” said 
Delle, with a little polite contempt. 

There was silence for several minutes, when 
Kate again cried out : 

“Do listen again! ‘And Moses said unto 
the children of Israel : See, the Lord hath called 
by name Bezaleel, the son of Uri, and he hath 
filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in 
understanding, and in knowledge, and in all 
manner of workmanship, and to devise curious 
works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in 
brass, and to make any manner of cunning 
work. And he hath put in his heart that he 
may teach, both he and Aholiab, the son of 
Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. Them hath 
he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all man- 
ner of work, of the engraver, and of the cun- 
ning workmen, and of the embroiderer in blue, 
and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen ; and 


6 


A Little Leaven. 


of the weaver, even of them that do any work, 
and of them that devise cunning work.’ Isn’t 
that wonderful?” said she. “God taught 
them ! ” 

These were the first verses this girl had ever 
read in the Bible with real interest. When she 
was a little girl she had gone to Sunday-school 
and read her verse of the lesson in turn with 
the others, but her heart had never been stirred 
as these words stirred it. 

“This tabernacle seems to have been a tent, 
Delle and the women wove the cloth for the 
curtains, and God taught them how to do every 
thing. Do you know what city it was in?” 

“ You’re a little goose, Kate Stanley,” replied 
Delle, summoning all her slender stock of Bible 
knowledge. “ Don’t you know the children 
of Israel made the tabernacle while they were 
wandering in the wilderness ? ” 

“ Wove all that cloth and did all that carv- 
ing?” 

“ Yes.” 

“ Dear me ! I always fancied they spent their 
time just marching around. I never supposed 
they worked any.” She laughed lightly and 
closed the Bible. 


That Nickel Fund. 


7 


“Well, I must go. Why, it’s nearly dark.” 
And slipping on her wraps she was soon hurry- 
ing along the street, at a pace quite equal to 
that of Helen Harkness. And an hour later 
this little lady was seated at the beautiful din- 
ner table in her own home. She leaned coax- 
ingly toward her father, after a fashion of her 
own, and said : 

“ Papa, I want you to look for Exodus with 
me after dinner.” 

“ For what?” asked that gentleman, in sur- 
prise. 

“ For Exodus. In the Bible, you know.” 

“ What set you off on that line ? ” asked her 
brother Robert, from across the table. 

“ O, because I had such a time finding it 
over at Delie’s to-day. Helen Harkness had 
some circulars sent her of a Bible Training 
School in Chicago, and they are going to try to 
build a building for it out of nickels, and Helen 
is going to help raise the money. She was at 
Delie’s this afternoon ; and on one of the cir- 
culars it said the people came and gave will- 
ingly for the building of the tabernacle thirty- 
four centuries ago, gold and jewels, and the 
reference was given, and I wanted to look it 
2 


8 


A Little Leaven. 


up, so I did. And sure enough it was so. And 
God himself taught them how to do it. You 
didn't know that, Robert." 

“Well, no; can’t say I did. You know I 
haven't much of a reputation as a Bible stu- 
dent.” 

“Your dress for Mrs. Vincent’s reception 
came to-day,’’ said Mrs. Stanley at this point. 
“ It is your first really elegant dress. The 
lace alone cost over a thousand dollars.” 

“ Shocking, mamma,” said Kate, in mock 
dismay. “ When Tm thinking of that woman 
in Chicago, trying to build a house out of nick- 
els, to study the Bible in, how can I wear a 
thousand-dollar dress?” 

“ Don’t think of her then,” said her mother. 
“ It is no affair of yours. I only hope you 
won’t tear it the first evening.” She referred 
to the lace, not the Bible-school. “ After all, 
you do not appreciate laces any more than a 
kitten.” 

“ Are you a Christian, mamma?” asked Kate. 

“You know very well that I belong to the 
Church,’’ answered Mrs. Stanley, with some 
embarrassment. 

“O, I don't mean a church member. I 


That Nickel Fund. 


19 

mean a real Christian. There’s a difference, 
isn’t there ? ” 

“ Don’t be irreverent, Kate,’* said Mrs. 
Stanley, with dignity. “ When you come to 
join the Church yourself, you will understand 
these things better.” 

Mrs. Stanley had defined her position ex- 
actly. Beyond the simple fact that she was a 
church member, her religious experience did 
not extend. She considered herself a model 
church member, however. She was very anx- 
ious that the carpet she walked over every Sun- 
day morning should be softer than any other 
church carpet in the city, and the soprano she 
listened to should be able to soar above every 
other soprano in every other church. She 
quite sanctioned the spending of thousands of 
dollars on flowers for Easter decorations, and 
subscribed to this fund liberally. For missions, 
however, if the truth must be told, she could 
not afford any thing, and the prayer-meeting 
room was never graced by her presence. Her 
husband, an easy-going business man, was not * 
even a church member, though he attended 
church once in a while “to keep up appear- 
ances,” he said ; though no one ever knew what 


20 


A Little Leaven. 


appearances they were he wished kept up. As 
for Robert and Kate, they did about these 
matters just as they did about every other : ex- 
actly as they pleased. 

. In Delle Prescott’s home matters seemed a 
trifle better to outsiders. She and her mother 
and father were all members of the same church 
with Mrs. Stanley, and the four children in the 
family usually attended Sunday-school, im- 
pelled by a mild sense of propriety. 

Helen Harkness shared her father’s beauti- 
ful home alone. She never knew her mother, 
loved her father with an intense devotion, and 
followed her own sweet will in every respect. 
Her mother had been a Christian, and Mr. 
Harkness, because he cherished her memory, 
rented a pew and sometimes occupied it with 
Helen. They were not Christians, and scarcely 
gave the subject of religion a thought. 

Several hours after the conversation in Delle 
Prescott’s room, Helen was seated in her fa- 
ther’s library busily engaged in writing. She 
laid down her pen, finally. 

^ “ There, that is about the tenth I have writ- 
ten, and it must do,” and she turned to a gen- 
tleman reading near by. 


That Nickel Fund. 


21 


“ ' Mrs. Meyer— Dear Madam : You may 
send me one of the Nickel Fund books. I shall 
be most happy to assist in raising money for 
the building. Very truly, 

“ ‘ Helen Harkness.’ ” 

How does that sound ? ” 

Well enough.” 

“ Doesn’t it sound stiff? ” 

No ; it is brief, but it ought to be brief, as 
it is a business letter. I hope you won’t get 
yourself in trouble, daughter.” 

“Never you fear, papa. She only expects 
each person to raise five dollars. I suppose 
she regards five dollars as a vast amount,” with 
a little laugh. “ Papa, do you think that letter 
sounds as if a Christian wrote it?” she added 
more seriously after a pause. 

“ Why, no ; I don’t know that it does. I 
have not had much experience with Christian 
letter-writers though. What makes you ask ? ” 

“ O, nothing; only I guess this Mrs. Meyer 
is a Christian, and she evidently thinks I 
am.” 

When this petted girl, who had never had a 
serious thought in her life, went to her room 


22 A Little Leaven. 

that night, she drew the letter again from her 
pocket. 

“ How foolish of me,’' she thought to her- 
self. “ What sport Kate would make of me 
if she knew how many times I have read this 
letter. I don’t know what is the matter with 
me, but some way this is different from any 
thing I ever saw before. ‘ The coming of the 
Kingdom.’ I wonder what that means. ‘Yours, 
in a blessed service.’ I wonder if it is a bless- 
ed service to work hard and try to get a build- 
ing out of nickels. And not get a cent of pay 
for it, either. ‘ Be patient, persistent, and 
prayerful.’ What would she think of me if she 
knew I never prayed in my life. ‘ Learn more 
of the precious word of God.’ I suppose that 
means the Bible. I never read much of it. I 
always found it a stupid book. I wonder if it 
really and truly is precious to some people. 
What does make me think of these things so 
much ? I mean to stop right now.” And she 
went to bed. 


New Experiences, 


23 


CHAPTER II. 

NEW EXPERIENCES. 

4^ 4[tj^ELL, here is my nickel book at last,” 
I said Helen, one morning, as she drew 
t from the envelope a neat little blank- 
book. ^^Now for some fun. How shall I 
begin ? Let’s see. She says * get your pastor to 
indorse it/ but I’m sure Dr, Long would be 
afraid to indorse any thing I brought him. I’ll 
ask him, anyway ; but how shall I get at him ? 
I might go to his house, I suppose. No, I 
couldn’t do that. He’d be sure to begin to talk 
to me about religion. But — let me see : this 
is Thursday. I know what I’ll do. I’ll make 
Delle go to prayer-meeting with me. Just 
the thing ! Then she can help me attack him.” 
Helen felt very much as though he was a wild 
animal, and she quite exulted in her own 
bravery in going near him. Poor Dr. Long, 
sitting peacefully in his study at that moment, 
would have been quite horrified to know how 
he was regarded by one of the very girls he 


24 


A Little Leaven. 


was trying to reach. For it was he who had 
sent her name to Mrs. Meyer, suggesting her 
for the Nickel Fund subscription book. He 
prayed as he wrote, but hardly expected an 
answer to his prayer. 

Helen was not the girl to waste much time 
in thought, so she was soon on her way to 
Delle Prescott’s. 

“It’s come, Delle,” she said, excitedly, the 
moment she saw her friend. 

“ What has come ?” asked Delle. 

“Why, the Nickel Fund book, of course. 
And I want you to go to prayer-meeting with 
me to-night.” 

“To prayer-meeting,” exclaimed Delle, in 
surprise. They stopped in the hall. 

“ Why, yes, I want to get Dr. Long’s name 
in my book, you see, and I want you to go 
with me.” 

“ O, I can’t,” said Delle. 

“ Why not ? ” 

“ O, because I never go.” 

“Well, you might go this once. I thought 
Christians always went.” 

“I’m not going; so there! ” said Delle, de- 
cidedly. 


New Experiences. 


25 


“ And yet you think it would improve us to 
be Christians,” said Helen, mockingly. “ Make 
us more accommodating, you know. Good- 
morning.’^ And she flounced out of the door 
and banged it behind her. 

“I don’t care,” she said, half ashamed of 
her pet, as the cool air fanned her flushed 
cheeks. “ Pretty Christian she is ! ” 

She found Kate at home and at once made 
known her business and how Delle had disap- 
pointed her. 

“ I’ll go. I’d like to,” said Kate. “ I never 
was at a prayer-meeting in my life. What do 
you suppose Dr. Long will think when he sees 
us coming?” This reminded Helen of her 
object in going to the meeting. 

“ Dear me, Kate, could you ask him for his 
name ? That is what I wanted Delle for.” 

“ Of course I could. He’s real nice. I’ve 
often talked with him. I never knew you to 
be afraid of any one before.” 

“ O, I’m not afraid of him,” said Helen 
quickly, “ only — only if he should begin to 
talk to me about religion I shouldn’t know 
what to say.” 

“ He won’t,” said Kate. He talked to me 


26 


A Little Leaven. 


as much as half an hour at the railroad station 
the other morning, and didn’t say a word about 
religion.” 

“ But there’s a difference between a depot 
and a prayer-meeting,” said Helen, with an 
uncertain shake of her head. 

That evening the two girls stood for the 
first time at the entrance to a prayer-meeting 
room. 

“You go in first,” said Helen, as she hesi- 
tated, with her hand on the door-knob. 

“No, indeed, I won’t,” answered Kate with 
so much emphasis that Helen felt there was 
no use to say any thing more. 

“ I do hope I sha’n’t laugh,” said Kate 
nervously. 

They finally screwed their courage up to 
the point of entering. Helen led the way 
down the middle aisle. The service had begun 
and the people were singing. She glanced to 
the right and left, but seeing no vacant chairs, 
she hurried up very near the front, and Kate 
followed blindly after. 

Dr. Long was very much surprised as they 
hurried forward. 

In Helen’s embarrassment she sat down on 


New Experiences. 


27 


the hymn book and Bible placed in her chair. 
In the struggle to get them out and in their 
hands they both grew very red and laughed a 
little. Dr. Long shook his mental head as he 
watched what he thought was ill-timed merri- 
ment. When the singing stopped the pastor 
passed quickly down the aisle, giving bits of 
paper to the people. Kate shook her head as 
he approached her, but the doctor, without 
noticing, continued to hold the slip toward 
her, and she was finally forced to take it. 
Seeing a text of Scripture on it, she remem- 
bered her experience with Exodus and quickly 
transferred it to Helen. Helen would not 
have had the slightest idea what to do with it 
had Dr. Long not told the people, pleasantly, 
to find the places and read promptly when 
he called for the verses. Helen found her 
place without difficulty: Matt, i, 21, last 
clause. 

I have given you to-night,’* said Dr. Long, 
“ a few verses that tell why Christ came into 
the world. John iii, 16.” 

A voice just behind the girls repeated those 
wonderful words : “For God so loved the world, 
that he gave his only begotten Son, that who- 


28 


A Little Leaven. 


soever believeth in him should not perish but 
have everlasting life.” 

How new it seemed to Helen. “ God so loved 
the world that he gave his Son. ’ ’ She was sure 
that she had never heard about the love of God 
before. So she thought, regardless of the fact 
that the very last sermon she had heard was 
from that same text. 

But text and sermon alike had fallen on deaf 
ears. So absorbed was she in her thoughts 
that she did not hear a word of the comments 
Dr. Long was making on the verse ; nor, indeed, 
did she hear the number of her own verse read 
out until there was an embarrassing pause and 
Kate nudged her energetically and whispered, 
“ Read ! He wants your verse.” Helen rose 
hastily and read: “Thou shalt call his name 
Jesus; for he shall save his people from their 
sins.” Thanks to her elocutionary training, 
the verse was read distinctly and well. Dr. 
Long went on talking, and Helen, relieved of 
all other responsibility, dropped again into 
thought ; only this time it was about her own 
verse. 

“ From their sins.” Did she have sins that 
she should be saved from ? She knew there 


New Experiences. 


29 


were a great many bad people in the world, 
but it had never occurred to her before that 
she, Helen Harkness, was a sinner. 

She was aroused from her meditation by Dr. 
Long, saying: “Let us sing hymn No. 85.” 
How the music did roll forth. 

“We have heard a joyful sound, 

Jesus saves, Jesus saves. 

Spread the gladness all around, 

Jesus saves, Jesus saves. 

Bear the news to every land. 

Climb the steeps and cross the waves. 

Onward, ’tis our Lord’s command, 

Jesus saves, Jesus saves.” 

After the singing. Dr. Long called on any one 
who wished to speak, and Helen heard the 
voice behind her again. 

“ I am so glad that Jesus saves. Ten years 
ago he saved me, and to-night he saves me 
still.” 

In quick succession followed other testi- 
monies, which seemed very wonderful to both 
girls. After the meeting closed, they stood 
hesitating, hardly knowing how to approach 
Dr. Long, when he made matters easy by com- 
ing over to them. 


30 


A Little Leaven. 


“ Dr. Long,” said Kate, quickly, “ Helen has 
a book she wants you to see.” 

“ I shall be most happy to look at it,” said 
the doctor, pleasantly. 

“ It is a little subscription book,” said Helen, 
feeling very awkward, and fearing there was not 
so much fun in it as she imagined. “ I should 
like you to write your name in it and — and 
give me five cents,” she continued, desperately. 

“ I am very glad indeed to write my name 
here,” he said, cordially, as he wrote it with 
his pocket pen, and then placed in her hand a 
dollar bill. “ I only wish it were a hundred 
dollars instead of one,” 

“ You know of the school, then,” said Helen. 

“Yes, I know it, and may the Lord bless 
you in this work for him.” 

Helen took the book from his hand. The 
hot blood rushed to her face. Could it be that 
Dr. Long thought she was working for the 
Lord ? Surely not. He knew she was not a 
Christian. Perhaps she was getting herself 
into trouble after all, as her father had feared. 
Perhaps she should not do any thing more with 
the horrid little yellow thing. 

“ Helen,” said Kate, after they had walked 


New Experiences. 


3 


in silence for a distance, “ do you suppose 
those people really meant what they said to- 
night?” 

“How should I know?” answered Helen, 
impatiently. 

“ I’d give any thing if I knew,” said Kate, 
earnestly. 

“ Now, don’t be a goose, Kate Stanley,” said 
Helen, rather sharply. 

“ Prayer-meeting doesn’t seem to agree with 
you very well. I always fancied it made peo- 
ple more amiable,” retorted Kate. 

“ O, well, it’s my duty to be cross with you, 
you poor little kitten,” said Helen, recovering 
herself. “ I led you into that meeting to-night, 
and you haven’t any more sense than to be- 
lieve what they say. Now, it takes a brain 
like mine to resist all foolishness.” Then these 
two silly girls laughed because they did not 
know what else to do. 

“ Come in and stay with me to-night ; do,” 
urged Helen, as they neared her door. “ We 
can telephone your mother.” 

Kate was easily persuaded, so it was not long 
before they were settled in easy-chairs in 
Helen’s room. 


32 


A Little Leaven. 


“ Since my conscience is aroused, Kate, I 
feel really concerned about you. What would 
your mother say if you were to be converted 
through my instrumentality?” 

“ I guess there isn’t much danger of that,” 
said Kate, laughing. 

“ Well, I’m responsible for this prayer-meet- 
ing, you know.” 

It isn’t the prayer-meeting altogether,” said 
Kate. Then she told the story of the leaflet 
and the thirty-fifth chapter of Exodus. “ And 
I’ve read some more this week. And, Helen, 
I just can’t help but think about it,” she added, 
honestly. 

But your mother.” 

Yes, I know. O, I’m in no danger. I 
dare say I’ll get over it all by and by.” Then, 
after they had been silent for a time. “ I 
shouldn’t like to be a Christian like Delle, 
should you, Helen ?” 

I don’t want to be one like any body,” said 
Helen. 

“ O, of course not,” assented Kate, putting 
the Avhole matter out of her mind. 

After Kate was sleeping peacefully by her 
side, Helen lay with wide open eyes. In her 


New Experiences. 


33 


ears rang the refrain of the song, “Jesus saves, 
Jesus saves.” In vain she turned from side to 
side ; in vain she tried to think of something 
else. Over and above all rang the words, 
“Jesus saves, Jesus saves.” 

The next morning Helen was very unde- 
cided what she would do about the book. She 
certainly did not want to have any thing more 
to do with it, but how was she to get out of it? 
She would go to people after this who were 
not Christians. With this thought in mind she 
slipped the book into her pocket and started 
out for an afternoon walk. 

“ O, Mr. Van Dorn, I’m so glad to see you,” 
she exclaimed, as she met a young gentleman 
a short distance from her home. 

Mr. Van Dorn was considerably taken aback 
with the cordial greeting. He was accustomed 
to receive a very dignified bow from this young 
lady when so fortunate as to receive any. 

“ I want your name in this little book, Mr. 
Van Dorn,” she added, sweetly, at the same 
time bestowing on him such a winning smile 
that if she had asked him to undertake an ex- 
pedition to the moon, he would readily have 

consented. 

3 


34 


A Little Leaven. 


“ Want my name? ” he said, in pleased sur- 
prise. 

“Yes; but that is not all. I want some 
money too. You see, I am helping to raise 
money for a new building for a school in Chi- 
cago. The idea is to get five-cent subscrip- 
tions, but in instead of five cents, I want five 
dollars from you.” 

“ I shall be most happy to assist you.” He 
took the book, wrote his name, and dropped 
a ten-dollar gold-piece into her hand. 

“ Thank you very much ; you are very kind,” 
with another smile that would have gained her 
half of his kingdom if he had had one. 

Helen felt so well satisfied with that bit 
of work that she resolved to ask the next ac- 
quaintance she met. 

It chanced to be a woman who came to help 
her in the extra work of the house. Helen 
knew she was not rich in this world’s goods, 
but then she could give a nickel, and she had 
resolved to ask the next person she met, so she 
began : 

“ O, Mrs. Hudson, I want your name in this 
little book of mine. Shall I just write it for 
you ? I want you to give me a nickel, too.” 


New Experiences. 


35 


** Why, bless the dear child, what is it for?” 

“ They want a new building for the Chicago 
Training School, and they want every woman 
to give a nickel.” 

Mrs. Hudson began to fumble in her pocket 
for her old purse. 

“ Dear child, I haven’t much to give, but 
here’s three nickels. May be you know what 
the Saviour says of the poor widow who cast 
in her two mites. I know about this Bible 
school. I have read of it in my paper. May 
the Lord open the purses of the rich. The 
silver and gold belong to him. He’ll bless you, 
too, for this work for him.” 

Helen turned deliberately around and went 
home. Hurrying up-stairs to her room, she 
threw the book on the floor and herself on the 
bed, and cried as if her heart was breaking. 
If any one had asked this motherless girl why 
she was crying she could not have told. She 
only knew she was miserable, and she blamed 
the poor little subscription book. She had 
always been happy until that came. She made 
up her mind to let it rest — anyway, until she 
got over the blues. So the book lay in the 
upper bureau drawer for two whole weeks. 


36 


A Little Leaven. 


One evening she was dressing for a recep- 
tion, and seeing the book she slipped it into 
her pocket. It was a queer thing to do, but 
she liked to do queer things. During the 
evening she found herself being very agreeably 
entertained by Mr. Seelye, brother of the 
hostess of the evening. He had but recently 
returned from an extended tour in Europe. 
H ow Helen enjoyed the b»ok of engravings 
he was showing her. She had forgotten her 
troubled mind, and certainly had forgotten the 
little book lying quietly in her pocket, till just 
as Mr. Seelye closed the portfolio she felt for 
her handkerchief, and her fingers touched it. 

“ O, Mr. Seelye,” she cried, impulsively, 
‘‘ don’t you think you could give me your name 
for my Nickel Fund book?” 

He reached for the book, and read carefully 
the leaflet pasted in the front. He smiled a 
little as he glanced down the first page, and 
read : 


E. C. Long $ I oo 

H. Fitzgerald Van Dorn. lo oo 

Mrs, Hudson 15 


But before he spoke he added his own 


name. 


New Experiences. 


37 


“ How good it is that we can take the Mas- 
ter’s work with us every-where. This seems to 
be a school established for the study of the 
Bible especially. What a wonderful book the 
Bible is, Miss Harkness.” 

“Is it? I don’t know,’’ said Helen. 

“ Don’t you read it ? ” he asked in consider- 
able surprise. 

“ No, I never read it ; I am not a Christian. 
Every body seems to think I am because I have 
this little book,’’ speaking hurriedly, and de- 
termined to tell the truth, “but I am not.” 

There was a little pause. “Lord, help me,” 
breathed Thomas Seelye. 

No marvelous flash of light answered his 
prayer but the answer came just as really, and 
thrilled along the simple words he spoke next. 

“ Don’t you want to be a Christian, Miss 
Harkness?” 

There was another pause, in which Helen 
lived years. The talking and laughing of the 
little groups around her seemed miles away, 
though she heard it all. She noticed curiously 
that her heart was beating till it fairly shook 
her body, and she heard outside the measured 
strokes of a fire-alarm bell suddenly sounded. 


38 A Little Leaven. 

Yet in the midst of all was the one intense de- 
sire : O, to be a Christian ! The deathless 
soul within her had awakened, and sh-e knew 
with an absolute certainty that nothing would 
ever satisfy it again but God. 

In the meantime the silence grew painful to 
Mr. Seelye. He did not know what to do or 
say. But he prayed again, and when no won- 
derful words of inspiration came he used again 
the plain, simple ones. 

“ It is a blessed thing to be a Christian, Miss 
Harkness. Don’t you want to be one? ” 

“ Yes, O, yes ! ” said Helen, like one awaking 
from a dream. “ How can I be a Christian?” 

“ Mr. Seelye,” called some one from a neigh- 
boring group, “ can you spare us a minute of 
your valuable time ? ” 

“ Certainly,” said Mr. Seelye; but as he rose 
to go he replied to the other question : 

“ Only believe in Jesus, Miss Harkness. 
Give your life to him — he wants it — and trust 
him. ‘ Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he 
shall save his people from their sins.’ ” 

And the pleasant strain of talk flowed on, 
but the word had dropped that was to change 
the current of a life forever. 


New Experiences. 


39 


Every word of the short conversation had 
been burned into Helen’s heart, yet she knew 
•no more what to do than before, as she finally 
locked herself in her room that night and 
threw herself on her knees by her bed. She did 
not even know why she knelt ; but one thing 
she did know — she would be a Christian. 

Only believe.” But she did not know 
what to believe. Give your life to him.” 
Well, she would do that ; she did do it. And 
with this thought came the fast-flowing tears. 
Her little, useless, selfish life ; so miserable, so 
meaningless, did Jesus really want that ? If he 
did, it should be his for evermore. Left in her 
keeping, it was a failure. But would he take 
it? She was such a sinner. She couldn’t have 
told in what she was so great a sinner, only 
she seemed to be all wrong — to have stolen her 
whole life all these years from the One to whom 
it belonged. What should she do, and how 
could she ever make it right? And a storm of 
remorseful sobs shook her frame. By and by, 
when she grew a little calmer, something— no, 
some One — brought the other words to her 
mind: “ Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he 
shall save his people from their sins,” and with 


A Little Leaven. 


40 

this came back the refrain of the prayer-meet- 
ing song, “Jesus saves, Jesus saves.’* And 
now she saw it all like a flash of light. She 
never could “ make it right,*’ but she did not 
have it to do. Jesus was the one who “ saved J 
And since he came to save her, she would let 
him. She rose from her strained position and 
threw herself across the bed, and even as she 
did it her soul threw itself on Jesus. The fire 
in the grate burned low, but she lay mo- 
tionless with wide-open eyes and shining face 
all alone in her room. A wonderful quiet 
seemed to fill the whole world around her, but 
through her soul poured floods of sweetness and 
melody whose one refrain was, “ Jesus saves, 
Jesus saves ! ’* 


Real Wonders. 


41 


CHAPTER III. 

REAL WONDERS. 

v^^ATE and Helen stand again at the door 
<4^ of the prayer-meeting room, but this 
time there is no hesitation. Helen 
opens the door. They are not late, as at the 
other memorable meeting, and they walk down 
the aisle to their seats with no embarrassment. 
They seem to feel at home, as well they may, 
for it is their Father’s house. 

“ It is wonderful how changed some things 
are to me,” said Helen, at the close of the 
meeting, to Mr. Seelye, who occupied his old 
seat just behind her. “These meetings, for 
instance. I enjoy them so much.” 

Mr. Seelye looked at the happy face and 
thought to himself. How she has changed ! 
But he only said, “ How does the Nickel Fund 
book prosper in your hands. Miss Harkness? ” 
“Why, just wonderfully!” said Kate, an- 
swering for her friend. 


42 


A Little Leaven. 


“ You are helping too, I see,’* said Dr. Long, 
joining the group. 

“ Yes, I strengthen Helen with my presence 
occasionally,” answered Kate, laughing. But 
really, I feel very grateful for this same little 
book, for without it I don’t believe either 
of us would be Christians to-night.” 

“We had a beautiful time in Judge Went- 
worth’s office to-day,” said Helen. “And how 
much do you think he gave us? Fifty dol- 
lars ! The largest sum yet ! But we just im- 
pressed him about the school.’* 

“And he wouldn’t let us thank him,” put 
in Kate. “ He said it was out of the Lord’s 
tenth, anyway, and showed us what David 
said about his wealth in the last chapter of 
First Chronicles. I went right home and 
marked it.” And she turned the leaves of her 
new Oxford Bible hurriedly, showing a goq^ 
deal more familiarity with its pages than when 
she struggled so long over Exod. xxxv, 22. 
“ ‘ But who am I and what is my people that 
we should be able to offer so willingly after 
this sort? For all things come of thee, and 
of thine own have we given thee.’ He 
emphasized the word ‘ able * and said how 


Real Wonders. 


43 


true the last part was ! It is, too ; and I 
think it is beautiful that the Lord lets us give 
and work for him ! " 

“ The Lord is opening the hearts of the rich 
just as Mrs. Hudson said he would,” said 
Helen. “ I wonder what Mrs. Meyer will 
say. I know she will be glad.” 

“Why don’t you send her what you have 
collected for a Christmas present?” suggested 
Mr. Seelye. 

“Or, better still, go and take it,” said Dr. 
Long, with a thought in his head. 

“Wouldn’t that be splendid!” said Helen, 
enthusiastically, “ I believe I can coax papa 
into it. Could you go with me, Kate ?” 

“ Mamma would never let me go at Christ- 
mas time,” answered Kate. “And I’m afraid 
she wouldn’t ever.” She had some trials al- 
ready, this straightforward girl, who cared little 
for the dresses and parties so essential to her 
well-being, according to her mother’s judg- 
ment. “ But Robert would help me,” she 
added, more hopefully. 

“And I’ll help too,” said Helen. “You 
don’t know what a persuader I can be when I 
really try. She’ll let you go, I know.” 


44 


A Little Leaven. 


The little group separated. Dr. Long 
walked away saying softly to himself, ‘‘ What 
grand workers they would make ! Lord, 
open the door ! ” The girls were eagerly dis- 
cussing the probabilities and possibilities of 
their going to Chicago ; and Mr. Seelye — 
well, it would be hardly fair to tell what he 
was thinking of, but there was a curious bit 
of a smile on his face and a curious feeling in 
his heart. 

The girls did not spend the holidays at the 
Training School, but, first of March found them 
there. They reached the great Western me- 
tropolis in the morning, and, after a dreadful 
lunch at the station, took a hansom and drove 
straight, to the building. 

“ I feel awfully nervous,” said Kate, as they 
stood on the steps. “ It’s only half past seven 
o’clock. Are you sure this is the place ? It 
doesn’t look like a school.” 

“ It is the right place, anyway,” answered 
Helen, pulling the bell. It was immediately 
answered by a bright-faced young lady. “ Is 
this the Training School ?” asked Helen. 

“ Yes. Won’t you walk in ? ” was the cordial 
reply. 


Real Wonders. 


45 

“We should like to see Mrs. Meyer/' said 
Helen, feeling a little awkward. 

“Just walk into the back parlor,” said the 
young lady, leading the way. 

“ Isn’t this pleasant ! ” whispered Kate, as 
she glanced around the room from the well- 
filled book-case and shining organ to the pretty 
chairs and table. 

They had not waited long when the door 
opened and Mrs. Meyer came in. 

“ I am Helen Harkness, and this is my 
friend, Kate Stanley,” said Helen, by way of 
introduction. 

“ I am glad to see you both,” said Mrs. 
Meyer, taking a hand of each in her own. 
“ We were not expecting you before evening, 
but you are very welcome. Have you had 
breakfast?” This as she drew their chairs 
toward the register. 

“ We took our breakfast at the station,” said 
Helen. 

Mrs. Meyer excused herself for a moment, 
soon returning with a young lady bearing a 
tray on which were two cups of fragrant coffee 
and a plate of toast. After the tray was safely 
deposited on a table, rolled up by their side, 


A Little Leaven. 


46 

Mrs. Meyer introduced the young lady as 
“ Miss Baird ; one of our girls.” 

*‘You see I know all about railroad break- 
fasts,” said she. “I traveled three years in 
the Sunday-school work.” 

So they chatted on pleasantly, the girls eat- 
ing their lunch with relish. 

When Miss Baird appeared to carry the tray 
away, Mrs. Meyer explained, “The girls do 
all of the housework. We think it makes the 
school more homelike, taking away the board- 
ing-school feeling.” 

“ It all seems so nice,” said Kate, impulsive- 
ly. “ I’m glad already that we came.” 

“ I dare say, Mrs. Meyer, you were surprised 
when you heard we were coming,” said Helen, 

“ I was very glad,” answered Mrs. Meyer, 
thinking of various letters that had passed 
between herself and Dr. Long. 

The girls told the story of the Nickel Fund 
book and the leaflet. Mrs. Meyer laughed 
over the search for Exodus and Helen’s ex- 
periences. She turned over in her hand the 
check which Helen gave her, and said : “ Of 
course, I am very, very grateful for this, but 
the joy that comes to my heart when I look 


Real Wonders. 


47 


into your happy faces is far greater. To 
think that the Lord should so honor this little 
effort ! ” 

Very shortly the music of a silver bell 
called them to the first recitation. There 
were three every morning, 

Mrs. Meyer dropped into the girls* room 
for a little good-night visit. 

“Have you enjoyed the day?” she asked. 

“ O, so much ! ” they both cried. 

“ Do the girls do all the work ? ” asked 
Kate. 

“ Yes, they do every thing. Why?” 

“ The dinner was so nice, and the table 
looked so pretty. Helen and I were won- 
dering if the girls did it all.*’ 

“ We didn’t have any dessert, though,” 
replied Mrs. Meyer, smiling. “ We do some- 
times, but not every day. We live very 
simply, to help on our poor girls. Some of 
them are almost penniless.” 

“ O, we did not miss it at all,” Helen hast- 
ened to say. “ And the turkey was delicious.” 

“ One of our good friends in the commission 
business gave us the turkey,” said Mrs. Meyer, 
smiling again. 


48 


A Li-ttle Leaven. 


“Why, is that the way you live?” asked 
Kate, in surprise. 

“ No, not altogether. Each girl pays three 
dollars a week. This is their only expense, 
and it just covers the cost of good plain 
board with the incidentals of the house. We 
always have enough to eat, and we try to 
have good quality. And we have good friends 
who send us in the little luxuries at times. 
It often seems very strange to me, and, if I 
must confess it, I used to be dreadfully em- 
barrassed about it. But I couldn’t keep on 
feeling that way when our friends were so 
kind, and above all when the Lord was so 
good. So now we take gratefully whatever 
God sends. I suppose the Lord Jesus lived very 
much in the same way when he was on earth.” 

“ The girls all look bright and happy,” said 
Helen, “ I used to think it must be a dreadful 
thing to be a missionary, and I even imagined 
the general dreadfulness extended to their 
looks.” 

“Why, Helen, how you talk!” interposed 
Kate, reprovingly. “ We have really enjoyed 
every minute of the day. In Bible history 
they were reviewing the kings of Judah and 


Real Wonders. 


49 


Israel, and Mr. Meyer made the lesson so in- 
teresting. You know the Bible is a new book 
to me. But that is not the reason it seems so 
good ; is it ? ” 

“ No, dear child, as the years go by it will 
grow better and better,” said Mrs. Meyer, as 
she stooped to kiss the pretty, earnest face 
turned toward her. *‘You are tired, I know, 
so I must not keep you any longer. We are 
all three feeling specially grateful to-night, I 
think, so let us thank the Lord for his great 
goodness.” 

So these three people, who had never seen 
each other until that morning, knelt together 
with all strangeness gone, so quickly are Chris- 
tian hearts united. 

The next morning the girls found Mrs. 
Meyer sitting by the register in the class- 
room with a package of letters in her hand. 

“ Come in, girls, and help me go through the 
morning mail,” said Mrs. Meyer. “Here is 
one from Dr. Hitchcock’s little grandson. 
Shall I read it to you ? 

“ ‘ Dear Mrs. Meyer : I am a little boy 

eight years old. My sister is going to have a 
4 


50 


A Little Leaven. 


Nickel Fund book, and I want to know if I 
can have one, or if they are only for girls ? 

“ ‘ J. W.’ ” 


“Isn’t that nice,” said Helen. “Of course 
you will send him one?” 

“Yes, indeed. Children usually make a 
success of this work.” 

“ I believe the Lord wants to have a great 
many people interested in this school,” said 
Kate, “ and for that reason he suggested this 
Nickel Fund plan to your mind. 1 have al- 
ways said that; haven’t I, Helen?” 

“Yes; she has always regarded this Nickel 
Fund as a sort of inspiration on your part, 
Mrs. Meyer,” said Helen, laughing. 

“As far as the originality of the thought is 
concerned, I think I shall have to share that 
with Mrs. Marcy, of Evanston,” said Mrs. 
Meyer. “ But it certainly is succeeding wonder- 
fully. The Lord always does for us * exceed- 
ing abundantly above all we ask or think.’ ” 

“ O, doesn’t he ! ” said Kate. “He has led 
us so wonderfully.” 

“ There is the warning bell,” said Helen. 

The days sped by, each one fully enjoyed 


Real Wonders. 


51 


by the girls, until Friday evening came, bring- 
ing with it the weekly “ home prayer-meet- 
ing.” The whole large family gathered in the 
class-room, and Mr. Meyer read the one hun- 
dred and thirty-ninth Psalm. The beautiful 
words brought a great peace to Helen’s heart. 
It seemed so wonderful, and so assuring of the 
Lord’s nearness all the time. “ How precious 
also are thy thoughts unto me, O God ! how 
great is the sum of them ! If I should count 
them they are in number more than the 
sands.” What blessed words! Helen had 
been thinking all day of her father, and she 
knew just at that moment he was sitting alone 
in his home thinking of her. How she loved 
him ! Pie was all she had in the world, and, 
O, if he were only a Christian I O, if the Lord 
would only give him to her ! Might not this 
be one of his “ precious thoughts ” toward her ? 
This idea seemed to take possession of Helen. 
She hardly heard the prayers and the songs. 
Toward the close of the meeting she was 
roused by Kate’s voice : 

“ I want to ask you to pray for my brother 
Robert. I think he is almost ready to be a 
Christian.” 


52 


A Little Leaven. 


“ For my father too,” said Helen, eagerly. 
Her whole heart was in her eyes as she turned 
toward Mr. Meyer. The longing grew more 
and more intense, and at the close of Mr. 
Meyer’s earnest prayer she opened her lips to 
utter the first prayer she had ever spoken 
aloud. 

Her father, seated before the glowing grate 
in his elegant home at that moment, would 
have been much surprised if he had known 
just what his daughter was doing. He was 
thinking of her in connection with this “ new 
freak” as he termed it. He had never opposed 
her in any thing and he did not propose to 
now ; only it seemed “ very strange, very 
strange,” and he moved uneasily in his chair. 
Then the last words of his dying wife came to 
his mind. He remembered how he had taken 
Helen from her crib, and held her down for 
the mother’s last kiss. “ Lord, keep my child,” 
said the mother, with her last breath. Was 
this prayer being answered fully now, twenty 
years since it had been uttered ? This thought 
threw a new light over the whole matter. He 
found himself using the same words with 
heart-felt earnestness, “ Lord, keep my child.” 


Different Opinions. 


53 


CHAPTER IV. 

DIFFERENT OPINIONS. 

ELLE PRESCOTT sat in her room 
alone, holding in her hand an open letter. 

\ The letter was from Kate, and ran thus : 

“ My Dear Delle : We are just having 
the best time ! You have no idea of what this 
home is like. Every one is a Christian ; not 
half-way, but real, earnest Christians. 

“ It is not at all like a school. The girls do 
all the work and every thing is as neat as can 
be. We have dessert only twice a week and 
Helen actually approves of it, when she thinks 
of it at all. One does not notice such things 
here. Some way it seems different from any 
thing I ever knew before. I cannot tell what 
the difference is, only it is something very 
nice. I think it must be because Jesus is 
here. 

“ Mrs. Meyer so often prays that he may 
find nothing to grieve him as he goes through 


54 


A Little Leaven. 


the home. She talks to the Lord just as I 
would talk to her, or any other friend in whom 
I had perfect confidence. 

“ The lectures and Bible study are so delight- 
ful. Do you know, Delle, I cannot understand 
how I ever thought the Bible dull. If you 
could only hear Mr. Meyer give one of his les- 
sons in Bible history, I fancy even you would 
grow enthusiastic too. 

“ Helen and I are going with two of the girls 
this afternoon as they go out from house to 
house visiting. It seems almost as if we have 
always known these girls, and it is just one 
week to-morrow since we stood, shaking, on 
the steps, afraid to ring the bell, 

“ 7 P. M. — As I did not close my letter this 
afternoon, I must tell you a little of our visit. 
We did see some of the queerest people ! I 
went out with Miss Andrews, and we went 
through one of the tenement houses on Hal- 
sted Street. It seemed fairly alive with peo- 
ple, and they all looked so wretched. I felt 
like asking each one ‘ Have you heard of that 
wonderful Jesus?' as the song says, you know. 

** Fancy having to live in one room with two 
or three children, using it for a kitchen, dining- 


Different Opinions. 


55 


room, parlor, and bedroom ! I tell you, Delle, 
I am beginning to have more charity for peo- 
ple. 

“ I cannot tell you what I have gained just 
this week. Why, the world seems altogether 
different. Helen and I are planning all kinds 
of work and good times when we get home. 

“ I must say good-night now. Helen sends 
her love and so does Kate.” 

“ How those girls have changed,” said Delle 
to herself. “ They are real fanatics, I wonder 
that Kate’s mother allows her to act so. The 
idea of her running around to all those low 
places ! I don’t suppose the child has seen a 
really respectable person since she left home. 
I’ll go read this letter to mamma, and have her 
see Kate’s mother. Of course, Helen, will do 
as she pleases. No one would think of trying 
to control her.” 

Mrs. Prescott echoed her daughter’s opin- 
ions, and the two agreed to make Mrs. Stanley 
a call that very morning. Accordingly, eleven 
o’clock found them awaiting that lady in her 
very elegant parlor. 

Judge Boswell and wife, of Boston, dine 


56 


A Little Leaven. 


with us this evening,” said Mrs. Stanley, after 
greeting her callers, “ and I have spent the 
last two hours trying to arrange the fruit and 
flowers. That is Kate’s work when she is at 
home, and I miss her greatly.” 

“ I am sure you do,” said Mrs. Prescott, 
heartily. “ When do you expect her home ? ” 

“ Indeed, I cannot say. Her father told her 
to stay as long as she wanted to. I did not 
care to have her go at all, but she had her 
heart set on it, and Helen was going.” 

“ Delle had a letter from Kate this morning. 
Indeed, that is the reason of our call. It 
seems to me you ought to know what they were 
doing. Delle, read the letter to Mrs. Stanley.” 

“ I am quite alarmed about the girls,” said 
Mrs. Prescott, as Delle finished the letter. If 
they keep on they will be regular fanatics.” 

“ O, no,” said Mrs. Stanley. “ They are 
both so young and full of life, and this is their 
latest sensation. I was talking with Mr. Hark- 
ness yesterday, and he has the same idea. He 
says that Helen is taken up with this Training 
School just now as she has been with a dozen 
different things. Their enthusiasm will spend 
itself before they get home, I’ve no doubt.” 


Different Opinions. 


57 


“ Don’t delude yourself in that way,” said 
Mrs. Prescott, with a very becoming air of grave 
solicitude. “ If I were in your place, I would 
send for Kate at once. That Training School 
is a place where nothing is thought of or talked 
of but the Bible and missionaries. I would 
not trust my daughter there.” 

Mrs. Stanley glanced at Delle as she leaned 
gracefully back in her chair, faultless from the 
brown and scarlet trimmings on her hat to 
her dainty shoe, and smiled. But she only 
said : 

“ Why, Kate has heard of Bibles and mission- 
aries all her life ! ” 

“ Of course she has in a general way,” an- 
swered Mrs. Prescott, bridling up. “ But I tell 
you it is different there. Why, those people in 
that school have given their lives up to the work 
of making missionaries. They don’t often get 
hold of girls from our class of society, and you 
may be sure they will spare no pains to influ- 
ence Kate and Helen.” 

“ Perhaps it would be well for me send for 
Kate,” said Mrs. Stanley, somewhat impressed. 
I should like to have her home in time for Mrs. 
Roberts’s reception anyway.” 


58 


A Little Leaven. 


“ I am sure that would be the wisest thing 
to do,” assented Mrs. Prescott, preparing 
to take her leave. “ If Kate comes no 
doubt Helen will also. No one ever knows 
what she is going to do, though. Poor child ! 
she is just at the age when she most needs a 
mother’s care and advice,” and Mrs, Prescott 
sighed conventionally. 

Several hours later Mrs. Stanley was smih 
ingly entertaining Judge Boswell and his wife at 
her beautiful dinner table. Now, J udge Boswell 
and wife occupied a high position in the social 
circles of Boston, and in their elegant home 
often entertained honored visitors from both 
Europe and America, Therefore Mrs, Stanley 
bowed and smiled and assented when they 
spoke. 

“ I understood to-day that you had a daugh,- 
ter at the Chicago Training-School,” said Mrs. 
Boswell, addressing Mrs. Stanley. 

“Yes,” answered that lady, faintly, wishing 
in her heart she knew just how Mrs. Boswell 
stood in reference to that school. Before 
she. could answer more, however, Mr. Stanley 
said ; 

“Yes, Katie has been gone a little over a 


Different Opinions. 


59 

week, Robert is away just now too. We 
miss them both sadly. 

“Your daughter is not a regular student 
then? ’’said Mrs, Boswell. 

“ O, no/’ answered Mrs, Stanley, “ she is 
only on a little visit.” 

“ What an opportunity it is for her to 
have even a little visit there,” said Mrs. Bos- 
well. “ Mrs. Meyer is a personal friend of 
mine.” 

“ I am not acquainted with Mrs. Meyer my- 
self,” said Mrs. Stanley, graciously. “The 
way Kate happened to go was through a 
friend of hers who had a Nickel Fund book.” 

“That Nickel Fund again,” said Mrs. Bos- 
well, laughing and turning to her husband. 
Then to Mrs. Stanley; “ I wonder if it did for 
your daughter’s friend what it did for some 
girls of my acquaintance?” As Mrs. Stanley 
made no reply, and seemed to be smilingly 
waiting for her to continue, she added: 

“ The girls of whom I speak have begun 
earnest Christian work in Boston, *and it all 
came through the Nickel Fund. That is, I 
mean, it awakened their interest in such 
work.” 


6o 


A Little Leaven. 


“Is it possible !'’ exclaimed Mrs. Stanley, 
feeling obliged to make some comment. 

“ There is no doubt that they will get their 
building,” said Judge Boswell. 

“ They ought to if every one does as well 
as Helen and Kate did with their book,” said 
Mr. Stanley. 

“ I hardly think the money will all come 
through the Nickel Fund,” said Mrs. Boswell ; 
“ but I fully believe they will get the building. 
We are intending to put our daughter Janie 
in next year for a course of special Bible 
study. I believe it will do her more good than 
a year in Europe.” 

So it happened that a very different letter 
went to Kate by the morning’s mail from the 
one her mother intended sending when she 
talked with Mrs. Prescott. Near the close was 
this sentence, which was something of a sur- 
prise to Kate, and caused her heart to give a 
great bound : 

“Your last letter contained such a minute 
and glowing account of things that I feel great- 
ly interested. You may give Mrs. Meyer my 
love by way of an introduction.” 

In telling Helen of it, Kate said : 


Different Opinions. 


6 


“ I did not suppose mamma would take any 
notice of what I said, and I did so long to 
have her. 

“ ‘ Before they call I will answer,’ ” quoted 
Helen. 

“ Why, yes,” said Kate. “ It is before I 
called ; that is, before I spoke ; but I have 
had such a longing in my heart. It seems a 
little strange, too, that I did not put it into 
words. She actually sends her love.” 


62 


A Little Leaven* 


CHAPTER V. 

ANOTHER FRIEND. 

■f ^ ate,” said Helen, one morning, as they 

were dressing for breakfast, “ I’m going 
home. I don’t see how we can stay 
any longer.” 

“I suppose we ought to go, but I am so 
interested in the life of Christ Mrs. Meyer has 
been giving us, and the girls say Dr. Brown, 
who gives the next course of medical lectures, 
is just splendid. Why, Helen, how can we 
go?” 

Kate turned from the glass, brush in hand, 
and looked solemnly at Helen. That young 
lady laughed a little. 

“ Well, I must think of my poor father at 
home alone. I feel selfish enough for having 
staid so long.” 

Kate turned around and resumed her hair- 
brushing. 

“ We must go, of course. I wouldn’t mind so 
much if I ever hoped to come again,” said she. 


Another Friend. 


^3 


“You may,” said Helen. 

“Yes, I know I may. I suppose the Lord 
could persuade even mamma.” 

“We haven’t suffered,” meditated Helen, 
joining her friend at the glass and looking at 
her plump cheeks, “ even if we have had dessert 
only twice a week.” 

“ You ridiculous thing !” cried Kate. “Of 
course we haven’t. One never thinks of such 
things here.” 

“ Mrs. Meyer,” said Helen, catching that lady 
at a moment of leisure, “ Kate and I have con- 
cluded to start for home in the morning.” 

“ Must you go so soon ?” said Mrs. Meyer. 

“ I am conscience-stricken when I look back 
and see what a time we have been here,” 
laughed Kate. 

“You need not be,” said Mrs. Meyer. “We 
have all enjoyed your visit very much — the 
girls and I too.” 

“ I wish I knew more about one or two of 
these girls,” said Helen. “I want to tell our 
missionary society about them when I get 
home. Now, there is Miss Blank ; what is she 
studying for?” 

“ Well,” replied Mrs. Meyer, “ as she leaves 


64 


A Little Leaven. 


the country next fall I think I may give you a 
bit of her personal history. For years she felt 
called to be a missionary, but her mother, 
though one of the best women in the world, was 
very much opposed to it. Finally, last autumn, 
she came into deep waters, as she says, and 
found no way out but the way into the valley 
of Decision. She was a teacher in one of our 
city schools. She offered herself as a foreign 
missionary and was accepted. She felt that 
she must be better prepared for her work. She 
wrote me that she had no means — and this 
was no little cross to her — to pay even our 
small price for board, three dollars per week. 
But in one of the letters she said she had 
the assurance that the Lord would open the 
way, and so he did. One of our friends, not 
a rich man either, volunteered to pay her ex- 
penses at the school. He told me that he 
and his wife talked it over, and * we have to 
pinch a little,’ said he, but the comfort it will 
be to us in years to come to think that we 
have a representative — some one we’ve helped 
to send, working for us in India — that will be 
worth all the trouble. And so she is with us 
to-day.” 


Another Friend. 65 

“ Isn’t it grand of him ! ” said Helen, im- 
pulsively. 

And of her too,” said Kate. 

“Yes, indeed,” said Mrs. Meyer. “It isn’t 
easy for one who has always been independent, 
as Miss Blank has been, to accept help. But 
she takes it as Mr. Elderkin gives it, ‘ as unto 
the Lord.’ ” 

“ Are the girls here all provided for now ? ” 
asked Kate. 

“Those that are with us just now are. 
Most of them are able to pay their own way, 
indeed. But I could show you half a dozen 
letters from girls who want to come to the 
school — who feel called to special work, 
but have not the means to prepare them- 
selves.” 

“Now, Mrs. Meyer,” said Kate, “I don’t 
understand that. Why, should the Lord call 
girls to work for him who have not the 
money for the necessary preparation ? It 
seems to me if he wanted them he would 
provide for them.” 

“ So he will. I have not a doubt on that 
point. I am sure there will be in a short time 

a Students’ Aid Fund established. But the 
5 


66 


A Little Leaven. 


Lord calls some rich girls. Some of these 
here are very well off." 

“You think the Lord intends the rich peo- 
ple to educate these girls — the poor ones?" 
pursued Kate, intent on her thought. 

“ I am sure he intends them to have help, 
but am not sure it is all to come from the 
indefinite ‘ rich people ! * I think you and I are 
to do our part." 

Nine o’clock next morning found the girls 
comfortably established in the through sleeper, 
homeward bound. 

“What are you thinking of," said Kate, as 
she threw aside the book she had been trying 
to read. “You have not spoken for at least 
an hour." 

“ I am going to send a missionary," said 
Helen, quietly. 

“ A what ? " cried Kate, in astonishment. 

“ A missionary. I can’t go myself, for I am 
all papa has, but I can send some one as well 
as that gentleman can." 

“ Will your father let you have the money?" 

“ I don’t intend to ask him. I can save it. 
Just think, Kate: a girl can be kept in that 
school for one hundred dollars a year! You 


Another Friend. 67 

and I spend that much for candy and fruit and 
such things — to say nothing of gloves.” 

Kate laughed uneasily and looked down at 
her own well-fitting traveling-gloves. This 
was her one weak point in the matter of dress. 
Her gloves were always perfection, discarded 
as soon as there was any sign of wear or soil. 

“ And then,” continued Helen, “ I could 
easily do without one of my new dresses, and 
that would be thirty or forty dollars right 
down.” 

“ Mamma would never let me off on dresses,” 
said Kate, “ for any purpose.” 

The girls were both silent. Helen was full 
of the thoughts of her new plan. Kate was anx- 
iously thinking of her gloves. She felt out of 
patience with Helen for having suggested the 
new and unpleasant thoughts. She reached 
for her book, and settled herself with it open 
before her because she did not want to talk. 

“ It isn’t an easy thing to be a Christian,” 
she thought to herself. “ There are so many 
things to worry one. Now, there are my 
gloves — I wonder if I really ought to wear 
them until they are soiled and holes in all the 
fingers. It doesn’t seem as if I could. I am 


68 


A Little Leaven. 


a very poor Christian, anyway. I ought to be 
willing to give up every glove I have, and 
never put another pair on. If the Lord Jesus 
would just come to me himself, and tell me 
I must do it, I would, but this thing of not 
knowing — O dear!” Just at this point the 
first announcement of dinner in the dining- 
car was made. 

“ Dinnah in the dinin’ call ! las’ cah in the 
reah ! Dinnah, ladies ? ” 

“ Let’s go, Helen,” said Kate, jumping up, 
glad of anything to free her from her own 
thoughts. 

Now, it chanced in the dining-car they 
were seated at the same table with the lady 
who occupied the section opposite their own 
in the sleeper. Acquaintance ripens fast when 
traveling. The ice was broken at the table, 
and the girls found themselves talking freely 
with their new friend after they returned to 
the Pullman. 

“Helen,” said Kate, that night just before 
they went to sleep. “ I think the Lord is 
especially good to us.” 

“ I’ve been thinking that this long time,’’ 
said Helen. 


Another Friend. 69 

** So have I,” said Kate, “ in a sort of gen- 
eral way, but I have been feeling it more this 
afternoon. He gave us Mrs. Meyer for a friend, 
and now he has given us Mrs. Huntly. Isn’t 
she nice ? She rests a body so. I was feeling 
almost cross when I went in to dinner, but I 
soon felt better. Isn’t it queer she happens 
to be Mr. Seelye’s aunt ? ” 

“ Is there any \\vm^queer about Mr. Seelye’s 
having an aunt ? ” 

“ No, not to have one ; but for us to meet 
her here on the cars, that is queer, Helen,” 
said Kate, bent on carrying her point. 

“ It makes it very pleasant for us, at any 
rate,” she answered. 

“ Doesn’t it ! Her eyes make me think of 
Mr. Seelye’s. On the whole I am glad we are 
going home. Think of the questions Dr. 
Long and Mr. Seelye will ask us ! ” 

The girls had told Mrs. Huntly of their 
visit to the Training School, of course, and 
Kate had also told of Helen’s determination 
to send a missionary. On the following morn- 
ing the subject came up again. 

“ I wish I could help some one too,” said 
Kate, “but I cannot very much. You see, 


70 


A Little Leaven. 


Mrs. Huntly, it is different with me, Helen’s 
father does not notice very much, while my 
mother is dreadfully particular about the way 
I dress.” 

Mrs. Huntly only smiled. “Did you ever 
pray about it ? ” she asked. 

“ No,” said Kate. “ I never thought of 
it.” 

“I think the Lord Jesus is very particular 
about how we dress too, said Mrs. Huntly. 
“Yery desirous that we should dress as be- 
comes his followers.” 

“But that’s just the question,” said Helen 
earnestly. “ How are we to know when we 
are dressing just as Christians ought?” 

“ By consulting the Lord on every point,” 
answered Mrs. Huntly. 

“ Do you think the Lord wants me to ask 
him every time I buy a pair of gloves ? ” asked 
Kate, in surprise. 

“ I am sure he does. And every time you 
buy a dress too. This question of dress has 
really troubled both of you girls ? ” 

“Yes, it has,” they both acknowledged. 

“ How did you know? ” asked Kate. 

“ I think the Lord always speaks to us about 


Another Friend. 71 

it — us Christians — as soon as he can. Some 
years after I was converted I went through 
very much such an experience as you girls are 
having now, I presume.’* 

Did you ! ” cried Kate, eagerly. Won’t 

you tell us about it.^ ” 

There isn’t much to tell, and yet it meant 
a great deal to me. I think we often prolong 
— no, fairly create — a struggle with the Lord, 
because we are so willful and self-wise. When 
the thought first came to me that it might be 
wrong to wear certain things, I ought to have 
taken it immediately to the Lord, with perfect 
willingness to abide by his decision. Instead 
of that, my will asserted itself. I declared 
that I could not and would not.give up ; that 
the very idea was absurd ! Why, what 
would the folks say? Now, the thing itself 
may not have been wrong — or it may have 
been. Those who come very near God some- 
times hear a voice that others cannot. But, 
entirely aside from that question, it certainly 
was wrong for me to come into any kind of a 
conflict with the Lord. And he was too wise 
and too kind to leave me there.” 

That’s just the way it is with me,” thought 


72 


A Little Leaven. 


Kate, as Mrs. Huntly paused a moment. But 
for once she said nothing. This matter went 
too deep for light exclamation. 

“The conflict lasted for months,” continued 
Mrs. Huntly. “It is partly to save you from 
like suffering that I tell you about it.” 

“ How did it end ? ” asked Helen, almost 
reverently. 

“ The way such things must always end,” 
replied her friend ; “ by my complete surrender. 
I told the Lord I would give up every thing 
— that I would never wear another pair of 
gloves, as long as 1 lived, if that was his will 
for me. That whatever he directed I would 
implicitly, unquestionably follow — and then he 
set me free, aijd O, how he blessed me ! ” 

Nobody spoke for a little while. Kate’s 
eyes instinctively sought for Mrs. Huntly’s 
hands, which she had involuntarily clasped in 
her lap before her. Almost to her surprise 
she found them very neatly gloved, fairly 
rivaling her own. And the lady’s entire dress, 
though noticeably plain, was beautifully neat 
and becoming. Mrs. Huntly saw Kate’s eyes, 
and she smiled an answer to her questioning 
look. 


Another Friend. 


73 


“ He let me keep my gloves after all, you 
see,” she said, lifting one dainty hand. “He 
isn’t a hard master.” 

“ Did you go right on as you did before? ” 
asked Helen. 

“No, not just as I did before, for before I 
had forgotten that I was only a steward of my 
Lord’s money. He cut me short in many 
things. Yes, in many things, but it was no 
longer ha^rd to bear. I had never before un- 
derstood the saying, * Careful for nothing.’ 
Now I take these matters to the Lord just as 
I do every thing else. There is nothing that 
concerns his children that is too small for 
him to notice.” 

“ How many pairs of gloves do you think I 
ought to buy in a year? ” asked Kate, in real 
concern. 

“ I cannot tell,” said Mrs. Huntly, laughing. 

“I wish I knew,” sighed Kate, “I cannot 
wear them when they are soiled, and the fin- 
gers are. out; that is, I mean I should not 
want to, unless the Lord actually told me to.” 

“ He will tell you what he would have you 
do, if you ask him. You need not fear 
to trust him. He has exquisite taste. He 


74 


A Little Leaven. 


painted the flowers and the sunset clouds. 
Take all the things that trouble you to him in 
simple, child-like trust, telling him you will 
abide by his decision, and he will make it 
clear. Remember, dear, he is not a hard 
master." 

“Well, I’ll do it," said Kate aloud. “And 
I believe he will help me. He loves me and 
knows that I need help. I’ll trust him, and if 
he wants me to give up every thing for him, I 
will. I’m glad I can." And with the words 
peace came again to the troubled heart. 

“ I may be able to do more than I think 
for one of these girls," she added, with a 
bright face, as various plans for saving money 
flitted through her mind. 

“ I have not a doubt of it," said Mrs. Huntly, 
with an answering smile. “ We can each do a 
great deal if we watch our opportunities. Did 
you tell me that there is no fund at all for 
helping students?" she asked, turning to Helen. 

“No, none whatever, just now; but Mrs. 
Meyer has faith to believe that the students 
that want to come next year will be provided 
for. It seems to me to be giving right to the 
Lord himself to help one of these girls. He 


Another Friend. 


75 


calls some one to his work, and I say ‘ Here, 
Lord, is the money,’ just as if he needed it. 
Think of his letting me ! ” and Helen laughed 
softly. “ I wish I could tell some of the rich, 
rich Christians about it,” she continued. “ It 
seems to me they would just have to give.” 

Mrs. Huntly smiled, and Helen never 
dreamed that the husband of this modest little 
woman counted his wealth by the hundreds 
of thousands. 

I feel very much interested in this,” said 
Mrs. Huntly. “Indeed, I have been thinking 
about it all day. I propose that we three 
enter into an agreement, right here, to do all 
we can for the school, and especially to pray 
about it.” 

“ I will, very willingly,” said Kate, quickly. 

“ And I too,” said Helen. 

“ We have a special promise of an answer,” 
said Mrs. Huntly, as she drew a Testament 
from her traveling-bag and read : “ Again I 
say unto you, that if two of you agree, on 
earth, as touching any thing that they shall 
ask, it shall be done for them of my Father 
which is in heaven.” 

“ It will surely come, then,” said Kate. 


A Little Leaven. 


76 

“ There cannot be a doubt of it,” said Mrs. 
Huntly. ‘‘ These are the words of the Lord 
Jesus.” 

“ I wish I could tell some of those girls who 
are wanting so much to go next year,” cried 
Kate. 

“ The Lord will do that just at the right 
time,” said Mrs. Huntly. 


A Committee Meeting. 


77 


CHAPTER VI. 


A committee meeting. 



fr^RS. HUNTLY, Mr. Seelye, Helen, 
Kate, Dr. and Mrs. Long, with the 
little folks, Harry, Lucy, and baby 
Ned, were gathered around the tea-table in 
Mrs. Long’s pretty dining-room. 

It is nearly three weeks since the girls 
reached home, and their various experiences 
at the Training School have been discussed. 
The subject under consideration just now is 
the Students’ Aid Fund. 

“ Have you heard any thing from Mrs. 
Meyer since I saw you?” asked Mrs. Huntly. 

“ Not a word,” said Helen. “ We are look- 
ing for a letter every day, though.” 

“ Well,” said Kate, laughing, “ I have suc- 
ceeded in saving three dollars. That will pay 
a girl’s board for a week. I believe I’ll keep 
it to loan Helen in case she runs short next 
year.” 

I’m not going to run short, though. You 


78 


A Little Leaven. 


have no idea how prudent and economical I 
can be. I have something to report too. I 
was telling papa of what I intended doing, and 
he said he would furnish a room in the new 
building.” 

“In the new building?” asked Dr. Long, 
with a laugh. 

“Yes, sir. You don’t think that time so far 
away, do you?” asked Helen. 

“ This is April, and the first stone is not laid 
yet.” 

“ That is true, but the Lord does push things 
wonderfully sometimes,” said Helen. “ Espe- 
cially in Chicago.” 

“ So he does,” said the doctor, earnestly. 
“ ^ According to your faith be it unto you.’ ” 

“ If I could only be one of the students in 
that new building ! ” sighed Kate. 

“ Are you sure you cannot be ? ” asked Mrs. 
Huntly. 

“ As things appear now, I think I may say I 
am. I can think of no argument I could use 
to make mamma consent.” 

“ Have you ever thought of entering mission 
work. Miss Kate ? ” asked Mr. Seelye. 

“ No ; O, no,” Kate answered, quickly. “ I 


A Committee Meeting. 79 

only want to study the Bible more and learn 
something of city mission work.” 

“ If I were a girl,” said Mrs. Long, “ I should 
be a real missionary. It seems to me it would 
be one of the most blessed experiences.” 

“ You are not dissatisfied with your present 
missionary efforts I hope, and longing for 
broader fields ? ” laughed Dr. Long, as he res- 
cued a glass from baby Ned’s clutches. 

“ No, I think I am where the Lord would 
have me,” she replied, with an answering smile. 
“ But I was speaking of what I should do if I 
were a girl and had life before me as these 
girls have.” 

“ Do peoplfe have calls to mission work ? ” 
asked Kate, turning to Dr. Long. 

“ I think they do, certainly,” said he. 

‘ How are they called? ” she asked again. 

“ In various ways,” the doctor answered. 
“ Just as there are various calls to the Christian 
life. You cannot find two persons that have 
had exactly the same experience.” 

“ I should think it would be so easy to be 
mistaken as to a call to special work,” said 
Helen. ' 

“ If one is listening for the Master’s voice, he 


8o 


A Little Leaven. 


will not be mistaken when the word comes,” 
said Dr. Long, as his wife gave the signal for 
rising. 

Have this chair, Mrs. Huntly,” said Dr. 
Long, as he rolled an easy-chair toward her. 
“You will find it more comfortable than the 
sofa. Speaking of mission work, I think I 
could employ at least a half-dozen young la- 
dies. We need an industrial school. If you 
young ladies would take a walk down Clark 
Street, some afternoon, I think you would have 
little doubt of its being real mission work.” 

“We went to such a lovely industrial school 
one Saturday in Chicago. They had clay 
modeling and paper cutting. I should be so 
glad to help with this one. I have just longed 
for something special to do since I came 
home,” said Kate. 

“ Our joy is mutual, then,” said the doctor, 
“ for I can assure you I have longed for some 
one to take this work in hand. I have spoken 
to Mrs. Huntly, and she has consented to 
help us. She has had considerable experience 
in such work, as I happen to know. Miss 
Helen, what do you say ? ” 

“ I am willing to help, of course. Though 







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VISITING IN THE TENEMENT QUARTER 



A Committee Meeting. 8i 

I have very little idea of what I shall be ex- 
pected to do,” 

“Why, Helen,” cried Kate, “don’t you re- 
member that one in Chicago? The children 
were arranged in classes like Sunday-school, 
and the teachers taught them, and then some 
one talked to them a while and they sang?” 

The first thing to do is to get the children,” 
said Mrs. Huntly, smiling in Kate’s eager face. 
“ I would better say, find a room in which to 
put them,” she added. 

“ There is a room on Clark Street I think I 
can get,” said Dr. Long. “ I will go in the 
morning and see about that and make other 
necessary arrangements.” 

“ I can go too, can’t I ? ” asked Lucy, who 
w^as leaning on Helen’s lap. “ I am almost 
twelve.” 

“Indeed you can,” said Helen. “You can 
help me.” 

“ We would be glad to have the benefit of 
your twelve years’ experience,” said her father, 
giving her curls a pull. 

“ I know how to teach something,” said 
Lucy, modestly. “ I taught Calla Hunter how 

to crochet, and she was so slow to learn ! ” 

6 


82 


A Little Leaven. 


“There is one thing I noticed at the Train- 
ing School that I have not yet mentioned/’ 
said Kate. 

“ Do tell us/’ laughed Mr. Seelye. “ I did 
not suppose you had omitted any thing.” 

“ It is this. The girls at that school were 
just like other girls.” 

That is certainly an astonishing revelation/’ 
said Mr. Seelye, after the laugh that greeted 
Kate’s remark had subsided. 

“ Well,” said Kate, “ some way I fancied 
girls that went as missionaries were very plain 
and sober. Some ofthose girls in the Training 
School were as full of fun as any I ever saw.” 

“ It is not religion that makes people sober 
and dismal,” said Mrs. Long. 

“ No, indeed,” added Mrs. Huntly. “ But 
the lack of it.” 

“ O, for a little more joy in Christian 
faces ! ” said Mr. Seelye. “ If we really be- 
lieved that ‘ all things do work together for 
good ’ we could have nothing but cheerful 
faces.” 

Kate stayed with Helen that night, and 
the next morning, after Mr. Harkness was 
gone, the girls still lingered at the breakfast 


A Committee Meeting. 83 

table over their coffee, when the servant 
brought a number of letters. 

‘‘At last,” cried Helen, as she hastily looked 
them over, “ here is a letter from Mrs. Meyer. 
Let us go to the library." 

“Now you read it aloud and I will listen,” 
said Kate, as she seated herself comfortably. 
So Helen read : 

“ ‘ My Dear Girls : I have a few minutes, 
leisure this morning, and must tell you how 
pleased I was to receive your letter of two 
weeks ago. I knew, of course, that you would 
have a pleasant journey home, but had not 
included in my plans for you the delightful 
acquaintance you formed with Mrs. Huntly. 
“ How precious also are thy thoughts unto 
me : how great is the sum of them.” To think 
that this was in the Lord’s plan for you when 
you so suddenly decided to take the long trip 
on that particular day ! It is clear that the 
Lord is going to use this new friend to help 
you solve some of the difficult questions. 
Don’t be troubled that these questions come. 
They always arise in the experience of every 
Christian who grows. 


84 


A Little Leaven. 


‘ Another thing that I especially rejoice 
over, Kate, is your brother’s growing interest 
in the things of the Kingdom. It seems to me 
that he must be near the Kingdom himself. I 
find a little time every day, as I remember you 
and Helen, to pray for your dear ones. I 
have the same comfortmg feeling about your 
father, too, Helen. 

“ ‘ But I must tell you something about the 
school. Our numbers are increasing from day 
to day. Our house is full, and we have rented 
a room outside where two of the girls sleep 
and study, still belonging to our family. What 
we ever shall do next year is a mystery, for 
the applications are still coming in, and the 
interest seems to be increasing. The returns 
from the Nickel Fund are very encouraging, 
but are usually in such small sums that they 
will not accumulate sufficiently fast to be crys- 
tallized into a building next year, I feel sure. 
But we are all praying that the Lord will give 
us the “ open door ” in this direction also ; and 
if the school really needs a building next year 
we believe we shall have it. You know “ it is 
nothing with the Lord to help, whether by 
many or few.” I wish you could be present 


A Committee Meeting. 85 

at the “journal reading "some day. I hardly 
know which we do the most of, crying or 
laughing. Two of the girls found a poor 
woman up to her ears in housework the other 
day, with two little babies on the floor. After 
a very pleasant talk on miscellaneous subjects, 
the matter of religion was brought in as 
skillfully as the girls could do it, when they 
were greeted with the astonished excla- 
mation, “ Be a Christian ? look at fhern 
twins ! " 

“ ‘ One of our girls has a Sunday-school class 
composed of those boys. In the lesson in 
which the phrase “ fuller’s soap " occurs, they 
all began to point to one of the boys, declar- 
ing, “ That’s him ; his name’s Fuller.’’ Another 
class of boys still put their heads together — 
and such heads as they were ! — and held a 
solemn consultation, the substance of which 
appeared in a committee appointed to wait on 
their teacher with the inquiry, “ whether she 
had five cents to pay her street-car fare when 
she came to work with them? ” “ Because,’’ 
they said, “ we will ^ pay your fare ; we can do 
it!” So much for the ludicrous side of our 
work. I need not tell you of the pathetic 


86 


A Little Leaven. 


side. You heard enough while you were with 
us to imagine it. 

‘ I am so glad to hear, Helen, of your re- 
solve to help some one through the school 
next year. I am sure you will find the right 
one. I have an assurance that amazes myself, 
almost, about that Students’ Aid Fund. It is 
positively certain to grow, because there is 
such need of it. I wish you could see some 
of the letters I have received from girls since 
you left. Many of them are from ministers’ 
daughters, who have the very best of reasons 
for not being able to pay even the very small 
amount of their expenses here. I inclose one 
that came last night. 

“ ‘ To-morrow is Sunday. I get a whiff once 
in a while of the odor of beans baking in 
the oven. You know we pride ourselves 
on our genuine Boston baked hea7is every 
Sunday noon. They are so little work, be- 
ing all baked, and ready for us to just put 
on the table, when we come from church ; so 
no one has to stay home from church or Sun- 
day-school. And then they are economical, 
too ! I should not mention this to you or to 
the girls if this were a boarding-house. But 


A Committee Meeting. 87 

there is not one of the family who doesn’t know 
all the strong points about the baked beans 
as well as I do. 

‘ But my letter is growing to an almost 
unheard-of length. I do not know how I 
have ever managed to write it. I suppose 
because I had it in my heart, and “ out of 
the abundance of the heart the mouth 
speaketh." 

“ ‘ I sit here at my desk in the back parlor 
and I am sure I have seen half a dozen callers 
and answered a hundred questions while writ- 
ing it ; some of which have required me to 
look up from my paper for perhaps five min- 
utes’ discussion, and others have been of the 
briefest kind. If the Lord ever gives us a 
building with an office I believe I shall ap- 
preciate it as no one could who has not used 
one room for sitting-room, reception-room, 
and parlor, office, and general consultation- 
room, with an alcove bedroom curtained off at 
one side. 

“ ‘ Write me often and freely. I enjoy your 
letters. 

‘ Much love for you both, 

“ ‘ Lucy Rider Meyer.’ ” 


88 


A Little Leaven. 


“ Isn’t it nice of her to write so much when 
she is busy?” said Kate. “ Now read the let- 
ter she inclosed.” 

Helen continued : 

“ ‘ Lacrosse, Iowa. 

“ ‘ Dear Mrs. Meyer : I had a copy of your 
little paper, The Message^ handed me the other 
day, and its message from the Training School 
came straight home to me. 

‘‘ ‘ I have given my life to God, and I want 
to be an efficient worker. 

“ ‘ I should like to know more about your 
school and what a year there would cost 
me. 

“ ‘ My father is a Methodist minister and has 
no more money than Methodist ministers 
usually have, so I shall be obliged to pay my 
own expenses. 

“ ‘ How I am to do it I don’t know, but I 
feel that I must go on, do all that I can, 
and leave the rest to the Lord. 

“ ‘ Hoping to hear from you soon, yours 
truly, Millicent Parker.” ’ 

“ What do you think of that, Kate ?” 

“ I think perhaps she is the one,” answered 


A Committee Meeting. 89 

Kate. “ I think Mrs. Meyer thought so too, 
or she would not have sent the letter.” 

“ I shall wait a while, at any rate, because 
we don't know what a day may bring forth,” 
said Helen, 

After a pause Kate said, “ Helen, do you 
suppose Mrs. Meyer would call this industrial 
school an ‘ open door? ’ ” 

“Why, of course,” said Helen. “Every 
opportunity is ‘ an open door.’ There is no 
telling what great things we may accomplish 
through this industrial school,” she added, 
with a laugh. 


90 


A Little Leaven. 


CHAPTER VIL 

TRIALS. 

3 T was Saturday night, almost Sunday 
morning, that Kate was wakened by her 
mother telling her that her father was 
very ill. 

She was up in an instant and dressing hur- 
riedly. She found her father burning with 
fever and talking strangely. 

Robert had gone for the doctor, and there 
was nothing for Kate to do but creep trem- 
blingly to her mother’s side and wait the 
doctor’s arrival. Once Kate leaned over and 
placed her hand on her father’s hot forehead. 
He turned and looked in her face for a moment 
with no sign of recognition in his eyes, and 
then began strange talk of stocks and bonds. 

Kate never forgot how the moments dragged 
by during the half-hour Robert was gone. It 
was the first time serious sickness had ever 
entered their home ; her father had always 
seemed so well and strong. 


Trials. 


91 


She had not dreamed of his being sick. 
She looked at him as he lay on the pillow. 
How gray his hair seemed, and strange she 
had never noticed the wrinkles in his face be- 
fore ! Suddenly there flashed across her the 
thought, what if he should die ! Why, he 
was not ready ! What should she do ? O, if 
the doctor would only come ! 

She crept into the hall, and heard Robert’s 
night-key in the door. She stood at the head 
of the stairs as he and the doctor came 
up. They passed her without a word. She 
entered the room softly after them and lis- 
tened breathlessly to the doctor’s many ques- 
tions. 

He gave a quieting potion and said he 
would come in again at daylight. 

“ Dr. Matthews,” said Kate, quietly, as she 
passed into the hall after him, “ won’t you tell 
me whether he is very sick or not ? ” 

The doctor turned and looked at her half 
pitifully. 

“ Yes, child, he is very sick. We may hope 
for the best, though,” he added, as he saw how 
white her face was. “ Keep a brave heart ; 
I will be back by daylight.” 


92 


A Little Leaven. 


Kate returned to her father’s room and 
tried to persuade her mother to lie down. 

Robert tried to have them both leave him 
to watch until the doctor came, but they 
would not. In the course of another hour, 
however, Mrs. Stanley consented to lie on a 
couch in the room, but Kate’s eyes were open 
all those weary hours and she prayed for her 
father as she had never prayed for any one be- 
fore. She looked into his flushed face, and O, 
how she loved him ! He seemed so very sick. 
If he were only ready to die she would be more 
resigned. So she thought on and on until 
day fairly dawned, the servants were about the 
house, and again the doctor came. He. pro- 
nounced it a very severe case of brain fever, 
and sent every one from the room but Kate, 
who was far more quiet and collected than her 
mother. 

“You will have to have a nurse,” said Dr. 
Matthews. “ Every thing depends on the 
nursing and care he has.” 

“ I can do it, doctor ; please let me,” cried 
Kate, eagerly. 

“ I’ve no doubt you would do the very best 
you could, my dear, but, as I said, every thing 


Trials. 


93 


depends on the care he has, and we need an 
experienced nurse. I have one in mind who 
will be here to-night if she has no other en- 
gagement. In the meantime we shall use you 
and Robert. Now, Kate, listen very closely 
to what I say, and do just as I tell you.” 

Then followed minute directions as to what 
she must do, and, above all, of what she must 
not do. 

As soon as Kate was alone she kneeled by 
the bed and prayed earnestly for just one 
chance of speaking to her father in his right 
mind. How many opportunities she had neg- 
lected. Often, often she might have spoken 
a word. She saw it all now, and prayed more 
earnestly than ever that one more might be 
given her. 

The weary hours dragged slowly by. In the 
afternoon a tender little note came from Helen, 
and Mr. Seelye called and sent up a hastily- 
written message from the parlor. 

“ We — Dr. and Mrs. Long and I — have just 
been talking to the Father of you, and we feel 
that we have been answered. ‘When thou 
passest through the waters I will be with thee ; 
and through the rivers, they shall not overflow 


94 


A Little Leaven. 


thee; when thou walkest through the fire thou 
shalt not be burned ; neither shall the flames 
kindle upon thee.’ " 

What a delicious feeling of rest came to 
Kate as she read those words. She knew she was 
not the only watcher by that sick-bed. The Sa- 
viour was there. “ I will be with thee,” he said. 
The thought gave her new strength and cour- 
age. 

In the evening the doctor came with the 
nurse, whom he introduced as Miss Armstrong. 
As soon as Kate looked in her eyes she knew 
she could trust her. The doctor left shortly, 
telling Kate to try to get some rest or he 
should have her, also, on his hands. 

Kate sank wearily into an easy-chair and 
watched Miss Armstrong, who was moving 
noiselessly about the room, making her prepa- 
rations for the night in a business-like manner, 
and so easily that Kate gave a great sigh of 
relief. 

“She seems very good,” said Kate to her- 
self. “ I wonder if it could be that she is a 
Christian.” Just at that moment, almost as if 
answering her thought. Miss Armstrong placed 
on the light table near her a Bible. 


Trials. 


95 

“ O/’ said Kate, aloud, “ I am .so glad you 
know about that book ! ” 

Miss Armstrong looked at her with a smile. 

“ That book has given me help for many a 
year, especially during these long, hard night 
watches.” 

“ Papa does not — ” Kate stopped, her eyes 
filling with tears. But she saw that Miss Arm- 
strong understood her. “ I never thought of 
his being ill or likely to die. I have prayed 
for him all day.” 

We will continue to pray ; both of us,” said 
Miss Armstrong. “ Leave it all with the Sa- 
viour, dear. ‘ What time I am afraid I will 
trust in thee. ” Then she gently sent Kate off 
for a cup of tea. 

The new nurse is lovely, Robert ; and she is 
a Christian.” 

“I am very glad,” said he. “ Is father more 
quiet ? ” he asked, as he rose to touch the bell. 

“ He is sleeping just now. I suppose it is 
due to the medicine, though.” 

As the days wore away the sick man’s 
strength grew less. His mind went back to 
childhood’s days and he often spoke of 
his mother. 


96 


A Little Leaven. 


One afternoon Miss Armstrong had left the 
room for a few moments and Kate was sit- 
ting by the bed bathing the throbbing head. 
Suddenly her father ceased his rapid talking 
and looked her full in the face. 

“ Kate,” he said, softly. 

“ Papa, do you know me ? ” 

“Yes,” he answered, trying to smile. 

“ Papa, dear, you have been very sick,” she 
said, with her whole soul in her voice, “ and if 
you know what I am saying I want to tell you 
that Jesus saves. He will save you, papa, if 
you ask him.” 

For a second the sick man looked in her face 
without speaking, then closed his eyes and 
turned w'earily on his pillow, and the ceaseless 
flow of delirious talk began again. 

Kate sank on her knees. 

“ My God,” she cried, “ I believe that thou 
hast given me the moment I asked for. It was 
so very short, but thou dost not need time. 
O, use the words spoken. Blessed Lord Jesus, 
save my father ! ” 

Miss Armstrong entered just then, and, glanc- 
ing at the clock on the mantel, she came to 
give the sick man his medicine. 


Trials. 


97 


‘“Now I lay me down to sleep,’ ” the sick 
man repeated as his head touched the pillow. 
‘ Now I lay me down to sleep.’ Mother, 
mother, what is the rest ? ‘ Now I lay me — 

down to sleep — down to ’ — O, why can I not 
sleep ! ‘ If I should die before I wake, I pray ’ 

— mother? ” 

All the afternoon he repeated the words over 
and over. In the early evening he sank into a 
stupor from which it was impossible to rouse 
him for his medicine. When the doctor^ar- 
rived he told Robert and Kate that the change 
would probably come that night. 

“What do you think the change will be?” 
asked Robert. 

“ I have scarcely any hope,” answered this 
honest, earnest man. “We have done all we 
can do. I must leave now, but will call again 
before midnight. The crisis will scarcely come 
before then. You and your sister might stay 
in this room with the door open. Miss Arm- 
strong will call you if there is any change. In 
the meantime we can only wait and pray, Kate.” 

How tender this busy man had grown to- 
ward the almost heart-broken girl ! 

Robert and Kate took up their watch with- 
7 


98 


A Little Leaven. 


out their mother, for she had been prostrate 
during most of her husband’s illness. 

In passing Dr. Long’s home Dr. Matthews 
stopped suddenly, and, hurrying up the steps, 
rang the bell. Dr. Long himself appeared at 
the door. 

“I haven’t a moment to stop,” said Dr. 
Matthews, hurriedly ; “ but I thought it would 
be well if you could go around to Stanley’s in 
an hour or so.” 

“ I will, certainly,” Dr. Long answered. “ Is 
there no hope ? ” 

None at all, I think. The change will 
come to-night. I will be in before midnight. 
Robert and Kate and the nurse are there. 
Mrs. Stanley is sick, which is perhaps fortu- 
nate. I thought Kate would be glad to have 
you there when the end comes.” 

“ I’ll be there,” said Dr. Long, and Dr. 
Matthews was gone. 

Some three hours later they were all gath- 
ered around the sick man’s bed. He still 
slept on, but over his face had come that un- 
mistakable ashen hue. 

“ He will not speak again, I think,” said Dr. 
Matthews gently, with his fingers on his pulse. 


Trials. 


99 

Dr. Long knelt and prayed for the spirit 
about to leave the body. 

Katie sat on the bed by her father. He 
opened his eyes for a moment and looked in 
her face. 

Kate,” faintly. Kate stooped to catch 
the words. 

“Jesus — saves. Jesus ” — and he was gone. 


100 


A Little Leaven. 


CHAPTER VIIL 

NEW PLANS. 

f T was a dreary April evening. The rain 
had fallen unceasingly all day, and the 
constant drip, drip, made Kate nervous 
as she stood looking out into the gathering 
gloom. Robert was late to-night. Dinner had 
waited an hour. It was a little over a week 
since the funeral. It seemed to Kate that the 
house had lost all of its cheer. The old story 
of death and failure had been repeated in this 
family. Robert found, when affairs were set- 
tled, that there would be little left. 

The day had been so long and dreary ! 
Kate had tried to be cheerful for her mother’s 
sake, but just now she had given up, and leaned 
her head against the window-pane with a little 
moan. 

“O dear!” she sighed. “I wonder what 
will become of us! ” 

“ Kate,” called her mother just at that 
moment, “ hasn’t Robert come yet ? ” 


New Plans. 


lOI 


*‘No, mamma,” she answered, turning from 
the window. 

‘‘Well, child,” said her mother, nervously, 
“ why don’t you ring for a light. It is dreary 
enough at best.” 

“ I thought you were sleeping, perhaps,” she 
answered, as she touched the bell. “ There is 
Robert now,” she added, as the hall-door 
closed, and she ran out to meet her brother. 

“ How has the day gone, little sister?” he 
asked, as she slipped her hand through his arm. 

“ O, Robert,” and she leaned her head on 
his arm with a sigh. 

“ How do you feel to-night, mother dear? ” 
asked Robert, leaning over the couch to kiss 
her. 

“ O I have had a bad head-ache all day, and 
it has been so dismal outside,” answered the 
mother, fretfully. 

“ If you all feel as I do you are ready for 
dinner,” said Robert, cheerily. 

“ I can scarcely bear to go to the table,” said 
Mrs. Stanley; “I miss your poor father there 
more than in any place else.” 

They all rose and made their way to the 
dining-room in silence. 


102 • A Little Leaven. 

I suppose there is no news, Robert ? ’’ said 
Mrs. Stanley. 

Very little in the way of news,’' said 
Robert. He quietly ate his soup and then 
leaned back in his chair. 

“ Mother,” he said in a tone which caused 
his mother and Kate both to look up quickly, 
“ there is not a man with whom father had 
any dealings whatever but has spoken to me 
of him in the highest terms. And I have con- 
stantly felt that they are not offering me vain 
words, but hearty support and friendship for 
my father’s sake. That is of more value to 
me than gold. You know I have had offers 
of help, in the way of money and many other 
ways, from the first business men of the city. 
I received a letter from Judge Boswell to- 
day which contains an offer of a situation 
just suited to my mind. There is only one 
objection.” 

“ What is that ? ” asked his mother. 

I should be obliged to go to New York.” 

“ O, Robert,” cried Kate. 

“You would go too, little sister,” he said, 
smiling in her distressed face. 

“ Why, how could I ? And mamma ! ” 


New Plans. 


103 

And mamma too. Don’t you think I am 
man enough to support a family? ” 

“ I think you could do any thing you under- 
took,” said Kate, gazing with admiring eyes 
on her brother. "‘Your eyes and forehead 
are very like papa’s, Robert. I never noticed 
how much until the last day or two.” 

They spent the evening planning and think- 
ing of the future. It was the first time they 
had faced the question together. When the 
good-nights were said the faces were certainly 
brighter than they were earlier in the evening. 

When Kate was alone in her room she gave 
herself up to sad thoughts. The world had 
suddenly grown so big and cold. All the 
lonely wretched feelings she had been striv- 
ing against all day rolled over her; she buried 
her face in her hands, and the long-restrained 
tears flowed freely. By and by her eyes hap- 
pened to fall on her Bible. She had not 
thought of it all day. No wonder every thing 
had seemed so dreary. She reached out her 
hand for it, and as it fell open in her lap her 
eyes caught these blessed words : 

“And God shall wipe away all tears from 
their eyes ; and there shall be no more death. 


104 


A Little Leaven. 


neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there 
be any more pain.’’ 

O blessed comfort ! How her heart drank 
it in! No more death. Just what had made 
their home so dreary and wretched. No more 
sorrow nor crying nor pain. Why, she had never 
conceived of what heaven would be like before. 
And she felt sure her father was there now. 
How much she had to be thankful for I As 
she sat and thought a sweet peace came into 
her heart. She felt the Saviour’s presence. 
She had given her life into his keeping, too. 
Why, she had not thought of that when she 
was wondering what she should do 1 Bowing 
her head on the table before her she said : 
‘‘ Lord Jesus, I give myself anew to thee. 
Wilt thou guide me with thy counsel and lead 
me in the path thou wouldst have me take.” 
She rose and began her preparations for rest. 
For some reason her mind went back to the tea 
at Dr. Long’s. Suddenly Mr. Seelye’s ques- 
tion flashed into her mind : “ Have you ever 
thought of entering mission work?” 

She paused, brush in hand. Could it 
be? No, surely not. She could not leave 
her mother. But she would have to leave her 


New Plans. 


105 


if she did any thing toward her own support. 
And she certainly could not settle down and 
let Robert support her. “ Have you ever 
thought of entering mission work?” No, she 
certainly had not then. She remembered she 
had asked Dr. Long if people were called to 
mission work. She laughed half-incredulously 
to herself. “ I cannot do mission work,” she 
thought. “ I should have to go to the Training 
School; and I couldn’t do that now, with no 
money. I might write Mrs. Meyer a letter: 
‘Dear Mrs. Meyer: I feel called to special 
mission work, but I have no money ’ — Pshaw ! 
I should not begin that way. I should tell her 
all about papa and about Robert. Then I don’t 
feel called to any such work, either. I am 
glad I thought of writing her, though. I will 
do it the first thing in the morning. She will 
surely be able to help me.” 

The next morning the sun was shining 
brightly when Kate awoke, and the world 
seemed much less dreadful. As soon as break- 
fast was over Kate resolved to make Helen a 
little visit. She had not been there since her 
father’s death. 

“ How glad I am to see you,” cried Helen, 


io6 A Little Leaven. 

as she looked up and saw Kate standing in the 
door of her room. I was just thinking about 
you. Sit down here and she gently pushed 
her into a chair. “To tell the truth, I have 
thought of you almost all the time these days, 
dearie," she added, leaning forward and kiss- 
ing her as she removed her hat. 

“ O, Helen ! " was all Kate could say, for the 
tears came again. 

“ Poor little girl! " said Helen, pityingly, as 
she knelt beside her, both arms around her. 

“ It is just dreadful at our house, Helen,'' 
moaned Kate. 

“ I know it must be, dear," said Helen. 

“It does not seem as if we could do with- 
out papa." 

“ It is hard, I know, but then you believe he 
is in heaven, and it is not for ever you are sep- 
arated. If I could only know my father was 
saved it seems as though I should not want 
any thing else on earth." As Kate did not 
speak she continued : 

“ After prayer-meeting the other night Mrs. 
Huntly and I stopped at Dr. Long's, and we 
had a little prayer-meeting just for you." 

“ Did you ?" cried Kate, eagerly. 


New Plans. 


107 


“ Yes, and so many, many prayers have gone 
up for you I know every thing will come out 
all right.’' 

“ I know it will in time. But when I came 
in just now the past all came back to me. I 
remembered how I used to run up here in the 
old times when I was so happy. Now every 
thing is changed. I suppose you have heard 
that we haven’t a cent. 

“Yes,” said Helen; “papa told me.” 

“ I thought I would come over and talk to 
you about things in general and myself in par- 
ticular,” said Kate, wiping the tears out of her 
eyes. 

“ That is nice,” said Helen, as she drew her 
chair near Kate’s. “You shall have the full 
benefit of my superior judgment. Now, talk 
away, dearie.” 

“ Well,’’ answered Kate, with a little laugh, 
“ I will talk away. I rather suspect you will 
laugh at me, but you must hear all I have to 
say. Robert has a good position offered him 
in New York, through the influence of Judge 
Boswell. He and mamma will go there. 
They expect me to go, too ; but I cannot. I am 
perfectly well and I must do something for my- 


io8 A Little Leaven. 

self. Mamma and Robert and I were talking 
over our affairs last night. I did not say a 
word then about not going with them, but I 
have made up my mind not to do that. After 
I went to my room last night I tried my best 
to think what I had better do. I asked the 
Lord to help me, and to lead me into the path 
he would have me take. Finally, in the midst 
of my thinking, the question Mr. Seelye asked 
me that night at Dr. Long’s flashed into my 
mind. Perhaps you don’t remember it. 
When I was speaking of wanting to go to the 
Training School he asked me if I ever expected 
to enter the mission work. I had not thought 
of it since until last night. It came to me sud- 
denly, and at first it seemed too absurd to con- 
sider a moment. But I couldn’t shake it off. I 
thought of it literally all night. Mrs. Meyer 
says there is such great need of missionaries. If 
only I could go to the Training School maybe 
I could learn how to do such work. I’d rather 
do it than any thing in the world. But then 
I don’t know as I’m ‘ called ;’ and as for going 
to the Training School, that’s out of the ques- 
tion now.” 

“ About the ^ call,’ ” said Helen. “ It seems 


New Plans. 


109 


to me that to be so situated that one could go, 
and to feel that one would enjoy the work, that 
is something of a call. And then the need of 
workers, too ; that’s a loud call, I think.” 

Kate sat in deep thought. Suddenly she 
said : 

“It’s no use, Helen. A person can’t be 
called to do a thing she can’t do, and — think 
of my being a missionary ! I don’t know any 
more about it than a kitten.” 

“ Kate Stanley,” cried Helen, jumping up 
and catching Kate around the neck. “You 
are to be my girl in the Training School! 
The Lord knows all about it, and he sent you 
here this morning, I know.” 

“Why, Helen ! ” said Kate, the color deep- 
ening in her cheeks. 

“You wouldn’t mind, would you?” asked 
Helen quickly. “ It would be just like one 
sister giving to another. It will be just beau- 
titful 1 Do, Kate, say you will.” 

Kate could not speak at once, and Helen 
waited in dismay at the emotion her friend 
showed, yet perfectly certain her way was 
right. 

“ Maybe I could earn the money,” said 


no 


A Little Leaven. 


Kate, finally in a husky voice. You know it 
only takes a hundred dollars.” 

“ O, Kate, do let me do it,” said Helen, im- 
petuously. “ You are just like my own sister. 
You know I never had a sister. Do let me 
have my own way just this once. There 
needn’t a soul know it, and I really believe it 
is God’s will. I have been praying for so many 
days that he would send me the right girl. 
Mrs. Meyer sent me a package of letters the 
other day, but some way I did not feel satis- 
fied over any of them. I believe the Lord 
was just saving me for you, darling. I feel per- 
fectly satisfied over you.” 

“ I don’t see how I am ever to manage 
Robert, to say nothing of mamma,” said Kate, 
“even if I could manage myself;” and she 
smiled faintly. 

“You don’t have to manage them. The 
Lord will do that for us. We might go see 
Dr. Long after lunch. He could help us, I 
think,” said Helen, 

“We would better go now,” said Kate. 
“ He is always at home in the morning.” 

A very few moments later found the girls at 
Dr. Long’s door. 


New Plans. 


Ill 


“ I do hope they won’t pity me,” said Kate. 
“ I ’most know I shall cry any way.” The 
tears were in her eyes already. 

Just at that moment the door was opened 
by Mrs. Long. 

“ I saw you coming and did not wait for you 
to ring,” she said, cheerily. “ The sun shines 
brightly, but it is chilly after the rain. I can 
tell by the color in your cheeks,” she added, 
leading the way through the hall. 

“ We have come on business, Mrs. Long ; ” 
said Helen, ‘‘ very important business. Is 
Dr. Long at home ? ” 

“Yes, he is in the study. We will go right 
up.” 

“ Are you ready for callers ? ” she asked, 
pushing open the .study-door, which stood 
ajar. 

“ Such callers are always welcome,” said 
the doctor, looking up from his writing, and 
rising as he saw the girls. 

“ My dear child, I am glad to see you,” he 
added, taking Kate’s hand in both of his. 

“ These young ladies have come on very 
important business, they tell me,” said Mrs. 
Long. 


1 12 A Little Leaven. 

“ Don’t go, please,” said Kate ; “ we want 
you to hear too.” 

“ Yes, indeed, we want all the advice we can 
get,” said Helen, “ Now, Kate, you tell them 
just what you told me.’* 

“It seems to me,” said Dr. Long, after the 
short pause that had followed Kate’s story, 
“ that this is a question that cannot be decided 
hastily. The Lord will reveal his will if you 
persistently ask him and search the word. At 
first thought Miss Helen’s plan seems very 
pleasant — ‘ lovely,’ as she says.” 

“ And I want it so much ! ” said Helen, her 
face aglow. “ It seems to me I couldn’t be 
more sure than I am that God put the thought 
into my heart.” 

“ I believe he did, too,” said Mrs. Long. 
And Helen smiled volumes of thanks at her 
for the words. 

“ Stop one moment,” said Dr. Long, as the 
girls rose to go, a little later. “ Let us take it 
to the Lord now.” 

They knelt, and Dr. Long simply and ear- 
nestly laid the matter before the Lord, asking 
not only that his will might be known about 
the matter, but that “ Sister Kate ” might be 


New Plans. 


113 

especially kept from being “ troubled ” or 
afraid.” 

“ At any rate,” said Kate, when they rose, 
I won’t worry.” 

No, don’t,” said Dr. Long. “ Only trust.” 
8 


A Little Leaven. 


114 


"1 


CHAPTER IX. 

A VISIT. 

OW what shall w'e do?'’ asked Helen 
of Kate, one June morning, as she 
closed her Bible after an hour's study. 
“ Wait for the morning mail, then ; I must 
write to mamma," said Kate, without looking 
up from her Bible. “Here is a verse to close 
with, Helen ; I always like to select one to 
keep in mind during the day. ‘ The Lord will 
perfect that which concerneth me.' " 

Some time before arrangements had been 
completed which took Kate, her mother and 
brother to New York. Mrs. Stanley had re- 
ceived a very urgent invitation from her sister, 
who was living in New York, but who had 
been in Europe with her family during the past 
year, insisting on their all coming to make 
their home with her. Mrs. Stanley accepted 
at once. In the meantime Kate was fully 
persuaded that the Lord had called her to 
special work for him. She had determined to 


A Visit. 


115 

accept Helen’s offer of a year at the Training 
School. Just how much this determination 
had cost her no one but herself and the Lord 
ever knew. She broke the news of her inten- 
tion of being a missionary as gently as pos- 
sible to her mother ; but, even though she knew 
her so well, she was not prepared for the bit- 
terness of the opposition she received. 

Through it all she stood firm, and endured 
it as best she could. Robert said little, from 
pity, Kate thought. She accompanied her 
mother to her aunt’s, from whose family she 
met very much the same opposition. 

“ If I did not feel perfectly sure that I was 
following the Lord, ’’she wrote Helen, “I 
think I should give up and stay home. I pity 
mamma so too. It all comes because she 
loves me. If she only could see things differ- 
ently ! I believe she will sometime ; so I ‘just 
rest in the Lord ’ and am trying to ‘ wait pa- 
patiently for him ! ’ ” 

Her aunt was horrified and “disgusted,” as 
she privately told her husband. He, on his 
part, laughed, and said he had not an idea she 
would go. 

“ She seems to have her heart set on that 


A Little Leaven. 


1 16 

Chicago school,” he said ; ‘‘ she will be over 
this fit before the year closes.” Nevertheless 
he resolved to try his hand at her ; so the 
next evening, as they passed from the dining- 
room, he asked Kate to go with him to the 
library. 

“You don’t mean you are really in earnest 
about this missionary business, Kate ? ” he 
asked, playfully. 

“Why, yes. Uncle George,” answered Kate, 
trying to smile, though the tears were very 
near. 

“ But you have not counted the cost, have 
you ? ” he asked. 

“ I think I have,” she answered quietly. 

“ Aunt Jennie has told you, I know, that you 
are welcome to a home here — more than wel- 
come. Nothing would give us more pleasure 
than the thought that you and your mother 
were to stay with us. You would better de- 
cide to do so and help us manage our four big 
boys. Isn’t that mission-work enough?” 

Kate shook her head. 

“ It is not my work, you see. Uncle George. 
I don’t know how to make you understand 
about it. You and Aunt Jennie are both so 


A Visit. 


11 / 

kind, and I do not want to appear ungrateful, 
but I cannot stay; indeed I cannot.” 

“ There is nothing more to be said, I sup- 
pose, then,” said her uncle stiffly, taking up his 
paper. 

“ Please don’t be angry with me. Uncle 
George,” she said, coming over and standing 
by his side. 

“ I am not angry, child,” he answered and 
in a soft tone. “ I think you are very foolish, 
though. You ought not to decide such ques- 
tions alone, Kate, and against the advice of all 
your friends.” 

“ I do not feel as if it was I who decided 
this,” said Kate. 

“ Who did ? ” asked her uncle, looking at 
her sharply. 

“ My heavenly Father,” said Kate, with a 
tremor in her voice as she thought of her 
earthly father. 

“ Humph ! ” said her uncle, turning again to 
his paper. 

Kate left the room and went wearily up the 
stairs. When would all the talking cease ? 
She was so tired of it ! How she envied 
Helen. She had no trials. 


ii8 A Little Leaven. 

Four weeks later a letter came from Helen 
begging for a little visit. Her father was to 
be away for two weeks on business and she 
would be alone. So it was this June morning 
Kate and Helen sat together in the pretty 
little study-room Helen had fitted up as a 
surprise for Kate. 

“That is comforting,” said Helen, as Kate 
finished reading the verse, “ The Lord will per- 
fect that which concerneth me.” “ It is so true, 
too. I always feel sure of the Lord’s word; 
don’t you ? ” 

“ Indeed I do,” said Kate, closing her Bible 
and looking up with a smile. Just at this 
moment the servant entered with the letters. 

“ Here is a postal from Mrs. Meyer,” cried 
Helen. “ She is coming East in the interest 
of the school, and says she will stop here for a 
day or two of rest. ‘ Can you not plan to 
have Kate in the city?’” she read from the 
card. “ Here you are ! Isn’t that splendid, 
Kate ! ” 

“ Delightful ! ” cried Kate. “ When will she 
come ? ” 

“ ‘ I shall reach your city the evening of 
the 25th.’ Why, that is Friday — to-morrow ! ” 


A Visit. 


119 

“ It seems too good to be true,” cried Kate, 
her cheeks all aglow. 

It has done you good already,” said 
Helen. 

“Well, you know one can talk so much 
better than write,” said Kate, “ and there 
are so many little things I want to ask her 
about.” 

“ Now, you write your letter to your mother,” 
said Helen, arranging the books she and Kate 
had been reading, “ then we will go over to 
Dr. Long’s and Mrs. Huntly’s. They will 
want to see you, and I want to ask them to 
come in Saturday evening to meet Mrs. 
Meyer. She won’t stay longer than Monday, 
I know.” 

“You are not going to leave Mr. Seelye 
out, are you ? ” asked Kate, leaning over so 
she could look up in Helen’s face. 

“ No, of course not,” answered Helen, 
laughing a little as the color deepened in her 
cheeks. “Now I’ll leave you, or you will not 
get your letter finished very soon.” 

The next evening found two very happy 
girls standing on the depot platform as the six- 
o’clock express came thundering in. 


120 


A Little Leaven. 


“ How glad we are to see you ! ” cried Helen, 
as Mrs. Meyer stepped to the platform. 

“ I am glad to be here,” said Mrs. Meyer, 
“ and especially so since I see Kate, too.” 

I was here when your letter came,” said 
Kate. “ I had come to make Helen a little 
visit.” 

“Yes,” said Helen, as she led the way to 
the carriage ; “ she came Wednesday evening. 
It all seems so nice. It made us think of one 
of your favorite quotations about the thoughts 
of the Lord toward us.” 

“ How true it is that they are more than we 
can number ! ” said Mrs. Meyer. 

They chatted pleasantly during the drive 
home. Mrs. Meyer noticed with real joy 
Kate’s bright face. Perhaps it was a shade 
or two more grave than it had been a few 
months before ; but she was certainly happy. 

“ Now, Mrs. Meyer,” said Helen, when they 
had reached home, “ I am going to give you 
this room. This door leads into the room 
Kate and I have. We wanted to have you 
near us all the time.” 

“We are going to try not to talk you to 
death, though,” said Kate, 


A Visit. 


I2I 


No danger of that,” said Mrs. Meyer. “ I 
dare say I shall talk as much as both of you. 
This is delightful,” she added, sinking into 
one of the luxurious chairs. 

“You are tired, I know,” said Helen. “I 
ordered dinner for half past seven to-night, 
Kate and I will leave you now, and you will 
have a good half hour to rest.” 

According to Helen’s plan the next evening 
brought her friends in to meet Mrs. Meyer. 

“ These results have far exceeded my faith,” 
said Dr. Long in an aside to Mrs. Meyer, nod- 
ding his head toward Helen and Kate. 

“ They are wonderful,” she said, earnestly. 

“ When I look back to that first letter I 
wrote you concerning Helen and the Nickel 
Fund book, and then look at these girls, I am 
astounded.” 

“ The Lord’s ways are wonderful,” ‘said Mrs. 
Meyer ; “ and he brings so much out of a 
little.” 

“ The girls tell me that the foundation of 
the new building is being laid.” 

“ Yes. That is going to be another wonder. 
We have not all the money yet, but our faith 
is strong.” 


122 


A Little Leaven. 


Are you expecting to have it ready when 
the school year opens ? ” asked the doctor. 

“ We hope to have it ready by delaying the 
opening a short time.” 

“ Kate will be with you, I suppose. It 
seems strange that she should be the one 
Helen is to help.” 

“ It does to us. What a worker she will 
make ! ” 

“ She will indeed,” assented the doctor. I 
have felt ever since she was converted that she 
was intended for special work, but did not 
expect the call to come as it has. The girls 
are both thoroughly consecrated, and their 
faith in the Bible is marvelous. I don’t think 
it ever occurs to either of them to doubt any 
statement they find there.’’ 

‘‘ All of the girls who come to us have his- 
tories,” said Mrs. Meyer. “ I can see that it 
is something of a sacrifice for Kate to accept 
the year at the school from Helen, though she 
says nothing. It is these sacrifices made that 
witness the genuineness of the call.” 

“ We were just talking of Delle,” said Helen, 
crossing the room. “ Do you suppose she 
could be induced to help us out in the indus- 


A Visit. 


123 

trial school? We need one or two more 
teachers so much.” 

“ Perhaps she might,” said Dr. Long. “ You 
might ask her, at least.” 

“ I believe I will,” said Helen. “ She and 
Kate and I used to be the greatest friends, 
but now it seems we have so little in common 
we do not enjoy our visits much. I’ll wait, 
though, until she hears Mrs. Meyer’s mission- 
ary talk Sunday evening.” 

“If she hears it,” said Kate. “ I am afraid 
she won’t be there.” 

“ I think curiosity, if nothing more, will bring 
her,” said Mrs. Long, laughing. “ I suppose 
you girls have not made her a call since the 
Nickel Fund letter during which you have not 
talked of Mrs. Meyer.” 

“ That is about true,” said Helen. “ I think 
she will be there.” 

“ It seems so delightful to have Mrs. Meyer 
here,” said Kate to Mrs. Huntly, later in the 
evening. “ It was such a surprise, too.” 

“ Is it not kind of the Master to give us 
such treats?” Mrs. Huntly answered. “‘It is 
not only all we need,’ as Miss Havergal says, 
‘ but delicious extra things too.’ ” 


124 


A Little Leaven. 


CHAPTER X. 

SURPRISES. 



'R. SEELYE mentally resolved that 
Saturday night that if it was possible 
to gratify Helen’s wish, about getting 
Delle out to hear Mrs. Meyer’s missionary 
talk Sunday evening, it should be done. He 
evidently knew the kind of argument to use, 
and, surely enough, the next evening she was 
there with Mr. Seelye. Kate gave Helen a 
little nudge of satisfaction when she saw them, 
and Helen gave an answering smile. She had 
intended speaking to Delle after the morning 
service and urging her to be out in the even- 
ing, but there were so many people waiting to 
be introduced to Mrs. Meyer that before she 
had a chance to look around for her she was 
gone. She was there now, at any rate, and 
Helen was glad. 

Mrs. Meyer began by giving statistics as to 
the need of workers. She told of one district 
in Chicago, containing sixty thousand people. 


Surprises. 


125 


without an evangelical church or mission in it 
' — thousands of children growing up in absolute 
ignorance of the story of the cross ; never hear- 
ing the voice of prayer or the name of Jesus 
except as they hear it in blasphemy. She 
spoke of the living-places — she could not call 
them homes — in the South, where windows 
and chairs and knives and forks are never seen, 
and of the unutterable wretchedness of the 
women in Utah. But this was but the begin- 
ning of the sorrow of the world, she said, di- 
recting their minds to the degradation and 
hopelessness of all the women of the Orient, 
illustrating by the eighty thousand child- 
widows under six years of age in India. 
Taking up another line of thought, and ad- 
dressing young ladies specially, the speaker 
continued : 

‘‘Young ladies are not likely to have in 
charge the investment of precious things in- 
the way of property, yet they have a priceless 
treasure in their hands to invest somewhere — 
their own lives! Twenty, thirty, forty years 
of service for the Master. 

“ The question any wise investor asks is : 
Where will my treasure gain most in the 


126 


A Little Leaven. 


shortest time? There is where I will invest. 
Let me give a bit of information to any 
who may have a life to invest. In 1883-4, 
the last reported year, there was an average of 
three converts for each worker in the foreign 
field. What a glorious record ! Many, many 
times greater than is true of the workers on 
the non-missionary ground of our own country. 
How many young ladies, Christians, perhaps, 
for years, who have never been the direct 
means of leading one soul to Christ ! Yet, if 
they would go into the foreign work, and take 
their place with others there, they would win 
at least three a year — sixty in the short work- 
ing time of twenty years ! 

“ But people who have treasure to invest 
should seek advice. If it is a child, let that 
child go to his father. If he, with his greater 
experience and wisdom, has advice, well ; if 
he has a command, better still. Dear friend 
with a life to invest, have you sought the ad- 
vice of your Father? He is infinitely wise 
and loving. You cannot make a mistake if 
you follow his advice. Nay, more. Have 
you noticed his command ? ‘ Go ye into all 

the world ! ’ And if you want a commentary 


Surprises. 


127 


on * all the world/ you will find it in Acts i, 8, 
where Jesus says, ‘Ye shall be witnesses 
unto me both in Jerusalem and in Samaria 
and Judea, and unto the uttermost part of the 
earth.’ Jerusalem, their own home, was not 
excluded, but neither was, ‘ the uttermost part 
of the earth.’ And as we read the history 
of the few following years we notice how 
God had to send the wind of persecution, 
and Stephen was stoned and James put 
to death by the sword, to scatter the dis- 
ciples away from Jerusalem, that the last 
part of the command, ‘ to the uttermost part 
of the earth,’ might be obeyed. But even after 
it was obeyed enough were left to evangel- 
ize Jerusalem. There was Mary, the mother 
of John Mark, and Rhoda, the damsel, and 
enough of the disciples for a good-sized prayer- 
meeting at least. Mary could not go ; she had 
family ties that bound her to Jerusalem, and 
so, doubtless, had many others. They could 
serve God best by witnessing ‘at Jerusalem.’ 
But Mary’s boy, John Mark, was free, and he 
went. We find him afterward the “ minister ” 
of Barnabas and Paul and the companion 
evangelist of his cousin, Barnabas. He asked 


128 


A Little Leaven. 


not the question, Why should I go? but, Why 
should I not go ? 

“ Dear friend, in making this precious in- 
vestment of your one treasure, your life, notice 
the command, and ask yourself the question. 
Where shall I ‘ witness ? ’ But if, like Mary, 
you cannot go to a foreign field, if family or 
other ties or health forbid, then seek the next 
best place. It may be the distant, destitute 
places of our own country, Utah or the South, 
and it may be over against your own door. 
Only the question must be, not Why ? but 
Why not ? ” 

There was more in the address, but more 
than one heart had received its special mes- 
sage. “ Why not go? ” Helen said to herself. 
And the answer came, clear and quick, My 
father ! The Lord does not want me to leave 
him. But I can find enough to do over 
against my own door.” And plans for pushing 
the work in that industrial school — she was 
beginning to spell it with capitals now — 
came crowding into her mind. “ Why not 
go?” thought Kate. “ Lm so glad there is 
no reason why I cannot go.” And for a 
moment the deep sorrow of her broken-up 


Surprises. 


129 


home and scattered family seemed as nothing 
compared with this precious privilege. Why 
not go?” thought Delle. It was the first 
arrow that had ever pierced the crust of self- 
satisfied conventionality and formality around 
her heart, and for the moment it gave her 
pain. But she instantly thrust aside the 
thought. Her life was not an “investment” 
she told herself. She didn’t think much good 
would come of bringing these dreadful stories 
of destitution and suffering before the people, 
anyway, and putting all these new notions into 
young ladies’ heads. At any rate she wasn’t 
going to be upset by them. 

“ O, yes,’' said Delle to Helen as they met 
in the aisle after the service, “ she said some 
good things, of course ; but I don’t see any thing 
so very wonderful about her. Indeed, I don’t 
think it v/as in very good taste to tell all those 
horrible things in such an audience as this. 
I declare, it made me feel uncomfortable. I 
suppose such things occur once in a while, but 
they cannot be generally true.” 

“ Of course they are true,” said Helen, 
indignantly. “ How could there be any mis- 
take, when she gave figures so carefully? And 
9 


30 


A Little Leaven. 


she told us where she got them, too, so we 
could test them ourselves. I wouldn’t have 
believed it either, a year ago, but I have seen 
some things down at our industrial school that 
make me ready to believe almost any thing. 
She didn’t tell half what she knew, either.” 

Yes, it’s true, no doubt,” said Mr. Seelye, 
“ and I think God has given her a commis- 
sion to tell it. She has had large experience in 
Chicago. I mean to look around more here 
in our own city, though I know sadly enough 
that all the wickedness is not confined to 
Chicago.” 

“ Such things are too dreadful to think of,” 
said Delle, with a shudder. 

“ They are a great deal worse to see,” said 
Kate. “ You ought to go with Helen and me 
Saturday to the industrial school, Delle.” 

“ O, mercy! I didn’t say I wanted to en- 
gage in the work,” answered Delle, with an 
impatient shrug of her shoulders. 

“ Of course you do, though,” replied Kate. 
“ No one could hear what we have to-night 
without wanting to do something.” 

“Come, I want to introduce you to her,’* 
said Helen, taking hold of Delle’s arm. Delle 


Surprises. 


131 

didn’t want to go, but Helen insisted, and 
Mr. Seelye seemed more than willing to wait. 
So finally she went reluctantly up to the rail- 
ing where Mrs. Meyer was shaking hands and 
answering questions. 

“ This is our friend, Delle Prescott, Mrs. 
Meyer,” said Helen. 

I have heard the girls talk of you so much 
that I feel almost acquainted,” said Mrs. 
Meyer, smiling down at the face turned up to 
hers. 

Delle laughed and colored a little as she 
remembered her not very complimentary 
thoughts and words of a few minutes ago. 
Then she said honestly, The girls have little 
good to tell you of me, I guess.” 

“ Indeed, they have told me many good 
things,” said Mrs. Meyer, earnestly, still hold- 
ing Delle’s hand in hers. “ They tell me^ 
too,” she added, in a low tone, “that they 
pray for you every day.” Delle looked up 
quickly, then drew her hand from Mrs. Meyer’s 
and turned abruptly away. 

Another arrow ! She had never in all her 
life prayed for them. 

Mrs. Meyer left the next morning at eleven 


132 


A I.iTTLE Leaven. 


o’clock, but she spent the morning study-hour 
with the girls — a precious hour. Kate had just 
said that the Saviour seemed so much nearer 
and dearer to her since her father’s death, so 
much more of a real friend. 

What should we do without him in this 
world of sorrows ? ” said Mrs. Meyer. “And we 
can wonderingly and reverently say, neither 
can he do without us.” 

“ O, do you think we are really — really 
necessary to the Lord ? ” asked Helen, eagerly. 

“ I think we are,” replied Mrs. Meyer. 
“ What else does that verse in the last chap- 
ter of Ephesians mean, ‘which is his body’ (he 
is referring to the Church, you see) ‘ the full- 
ness of him which filleth all and in all ? ’ The 
Church — we — is that which ‘ filleth ’ — satisfies 
him. But we might infer the same thing from 
the strong expressions in the Bible of the fact 
that the love between Christ and his Church 
is mutual. The bride must see and rejoice 
in her loved one, to be sure ; but must not the 
bridegroom also have and rejoice in the bride, 
before he can be satisfied ? ” 

“ ‘ The fullness of him which filleth all and 
in all,’ ” repeated Kate. “ That never meant 


Surprises. 


133 

any thing at all to me before, but it seems 
wonderful now.” 

“ I have had so many verses open up to me 
in that way,” said Helen. “ Sometimes I 
think that every verse is a jewel.” 

“ When we stop to think,” said Kate, after 
a little silence. 

“ Yes,” said Mrs. Meyer, “ and we pray, too. 
Don’t you think we lose a great deal in 
prayer because we do so much of the talking 
and do not stop to listen ? We are so busy and 
preoccupied in pouring out the story of our 
wants, and sorrows too, perhaps, that we do 
not wait to see what the Lord has to answer 
back to us. And as soon as we are through 
we hurry away, and if our Father speaks at all 
he must send the message after us in the midst 
of the care and hurry of our work.” 

“ Why, I never thought of that before,” 
said Helen, “but I believe it is true.” 

“ Time for uninterrupted, unhurried prayer,” 
added Mrs. Meyer; “how much that means, 
if we would ‘ grow in grace and in the knowl- 
edge of the Lord ! ’ ” 

When the Thursday evening rolled around 
again Delle was at prayer-meeting, much to 


134 A Little Leaven. 

the girls’ surprise. She was with Mr. Seelye 
again. 

Helen glanced up quickly and saw them. 
Her heart gave a sudden bound and just the 
slightest shadow passed over her face. It had 
been very convenient in weeks past for Mr. 
Seelye to call for her on his way to prayer- 
meeting, she so often had to go alone, espe- 
cially since Kate had left. Helen had scarcely 
noticed it. In fact, she had not thought of it 
before. She was very glad now, she insisted 
to herself, that he had brought Delle. But 
then the truant thoughts flowed on. She had 
never been able to persuade Delle to come 
and she had often asked her. And there was 
the slightest possible curl on her lips. She 
found the meeting much less interesting than 
usual, and was heartily glad that Mrs. Long 
detained her, talking over various affairs, 
until every one had left the church, but Kate 
and the doctor. Some way she did not want 
to speak to Delle. 

“ Well,” said Dr. Long, coming near and 
gathering up Bibles and hymn-books, “ thank 
the Lord for so much. He will bring Delle in 
yet, girls.” 


Surprises. 


135 

I believe he will,” said Kate. “ She must 
have enjoyed the meeting to-night.” 

“ It seemed to me the best meeting we 
have had for a long time,” said Mrs. Long. 
‘‘Annie Lawrence was over this afternoon to 
see about mission work, she said. You know 
she joined the church last winter while you 
were in Chicago, Helen. She is such a little 
thing, but there is no knowing how the Lord 
may use her. She was out Sunday evening 
and heard Mrs. Meyer, and said she had 
been feeling ever since as though she must do 
something.” 

“ She will work in nicely in the industrial 
school, I think,” said Dr. Long. 

“Don’t you love to hear Mrs. Hudson 
talk ? ” asked Kate, her thoughts turning to 
the meeting again. “ She says the most unex- 
pected things — beautiful things, too, they are.” 

By this time they had reached the door, and 
no one noticed that Helen had not spoken. 

“ I do believe Delle cares more about these 
things than she shows,” said Kate to Helen. 
“ I was so glad to see her out to-night. Mr. 
Seelye’s persuasive powers evidently exceed 
yours and mine.” 


136 


A Little Leaven. 


‘‘It is less than a year since we went home 
from our first prayer-meeting,” continued she, 
soberly. “Just think of the changes. It 
almost frightens me. What should I have 
done this year without the Saviour?’' 

“ It’ is hard to trust him always,” said Helen. 

“ I suppose Mrs. Meyer would say that it is 
hard when Satan specially tempts us. I used 
to find it hard, but you see, dearie, I just had 
to trust him. I didn’t have any one else to 
go to. So now, at least almost always, I find 
it natural to trust him. I am so sure he never 
makes a mistake.” 

Helen glanced at her friend. The tears 
were in her eyes as her thoughts went back 
through the sad year, but her face shone with 
a peculiar joy in the quiet moonlight. 

“ Do you think the Lord sends every little 
thing,” asked Helen. 

“ Indeed I do ; or at any rate he permits it 
and makes it ‘ work together for good ’ to us. 
You know we have a positive promise for that. 
Mrs. Meyer marked it for me in the eighth chap- 
ter of Romans in my Bible. And you know 
the very hairs of our head are numbered.” 

“ Do you believe it ?” asked Helen. 


Surprises. 


37 


“ Why, of course I believe it,” answered 
Kate, in astonishment. “ The Lord Jesus 
himself said so. What makes you ask such 
a queer question ? ” 

“ O, I don’t know,” replied Helen, wearily, 
a^ they went up the steps. 

The next afternoon Kate went to call on 
Delle, and as Helen was not feeling well she 
went alone. 

“ What do you think, Helen,” she cried on 
her return, dropping into a chair and fanning 
herself vigorously with a palm-leaf fan ? “I 
saw Mr. Seelye at Belle’s, and he is going 
away.” 

“Going away?” said Helen, looking up 
quickly. 

“ Yes, going to California on business. He 
may be gone three months and he may be 
back in three weeks. 

“ When does he go? ” 

“ Why, at five o’clock to-day. He came in 
to bring Delle a book he promised her. He 
said he had intended coming over here, but 
didn’t have time. He did not receive the 
telegram until this morning. He sent a good- 
bye to you, though.” 


138 A Little Leaven. 

As soon as Helen could she slipped away 
from her friend, and, once out of sight, she 
flew to her room and bolted and locked the 
door. 

“ What shall I do ? What is the matter with 
me?” she said to herself, pacing back and forth 
and pressing her hands on her burning eyes 
to keep back the tears. “ I must not cry ; 
Kate would be sure to notice it. Am I so 
wicked that I don’t want Delle to get inter- 
ested in religious things? No, no ; it isn’t that. 
Helen Harkness, you might as well own up. 
It is Mr. Seelye — you are in — ” she stopped, 
horrified, and the hot blood mounted to her 
face. The room fairly whirled about her. The 
mortification of it seemed more than she could 
bear. She sank on her knees by the bed, but 
she could not pray. “ O mother, mother, 
mother,” she sobbed. It was almost the first 
keen need of a mother the girl had ever felt. 
But suddenly, in the midst of the whirl, she 
sprang to her feet with the thought, “ Kate 
must not find this out.” All thought of prayer 
was forgotten. She brushed her hair and 
bathed her face and soon joined Kate down 
stairs as bright and gay as ever. Indeed, she 


Surprises. 


139 


chatted -away at such a rate that if Kate had 
known more of the world she would have seen 
the mask. As it was the simple-hearted girl 
suspected nothing. 

Helen never forgot the wretched days and 
weeks that followed. Many times she tried to 
pray about her trouble, but it always ended in 
a storm of mortified sobs and tears, and she 
never “ waited for the answer,” as Mrs. Meyer 
said. So all her praying did not seem to help 
her. It was not long before new and un- 
thought of temptations assailed her. Poor 
child ! She was not very old nor very wise, and 
she had been a Christian only a few months. 
She could not separate this new pain from 
Delle, and wondered that her friend’s awaken- 
ing religious interest gave her so little pleasure. 
She spent whole nights in vain efforts to sleep 
or to pray, and reproached herself bitterly that 
her jaded body would not let her enjoy the 
hour of Bible study in the morning which be- 
fore had been such a delight to her. One day 
the terrible thought came that she had never 
been converted at all. She remembered how 
it was the words of Mr. Seelye that had first led 
her to think of these things ; and it was only 


140 A Little Leaven. 

his influence, the tempter said, that had made 
her feel so differently all these months. She 
repelled the suggestion indignantly, but it re- 
turned with added force. She hated herself 
that she could even think such a thing of her- 
self ; but she thought it the more. Why 
otherwise was her joy in prayer and the Bible 
all gone, now that his interest was transferred 
to another? She drank to the bottom the 
bitter cup of doubt, and realized to the full 
that “ fear hath torment.” The prayer-meet- 
ings lost their joy. She was restless and nerv- 
ous. She envied Kate’s interest in the indus- 
trial school, which still continued. Delle and 
Annie Lawrence had both been duly installed 
as teachers, and Helen laughed over Delle’s 
lofty airs toward the wretched little children 
of hard Mother Street, that came so regularly 
to this one bright spot in their lives. 

Kate’s two weeks’ stay lengthened into four. 
Helen lived in terror lest some unguarded mo- 
ment should reveal her secret to her friend ; 
but she clung to her in a kind of desperation, 
Kate hadn’t the remotest idea why. In the 
midst of all this there came one day a letter 
from Mrs. Meyer, who had been attending sum- 


PLANNING FOR THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. 



i 

i 


I 








V.;. • 






*r* 












4 * 



Surprises. 


141 

mer gatherings around New York, telling the 
girls about the International Missionary meet- 
ing to be held at the Thousand Islands, and 
asking if they could not join her at Ogdensburg 
and spend a few days with her there. Mr. 
Harkness advocated the girls’ going. He had 
noticed Helen’s pale cheeks, and thought the 
trip would do her good. So Helen accepted 
the invitation eagerly, and carried Kate’s 
scruples by storm — a feat all the more easily 
accomplished as the girl really wanted to go 
very much. So one fine morning found them 
all three on deck of one of the great steamers 
that plow the blue St. Lawrence. They had 
just seated themselves comfortably under the 
awning, with their books in hand and shawl- 
straps and satchels packed at their feet, when 
Kate’s attention was attracted by a lady not 
far away. 

“That looks like Mrs. Huntly !” cried she. 
“ I do believe it is.” 

She sprang up and went toward the lady. 
She was not mistaken. 

“Why, Mrs. Huntly,” she cried, “can it be 
you ? ” 

Mrs. Huntly rose, holding out both hands. 


142 


A Little Leaven. 


“My dear child!” said she, “how is this? 
Is Helen with you?" 

“Yes, and Mrs. Meyer, too. We are going 
to the Thousand Islands missionary meet- 

• 9 9 

mg. 

“ Why, so are we ; my husband and 1. I 
must see Helen and Mrs. Meyer, and then you 
must see Mr. Huntly. He is down looking 
after the trunks. Where are your friends.^" 

“ There they are, over there. Can’t you 
move your chairs right over?" said Kate. 
“ Mr. Huntly will easily find you when he 
comes up." 

The arrangement was quickly made. Mr. 
Huntly soon joined them and pleased greet- 
ings were exchanged all round. Kate was 
overflowing with delight and satisfaction that 
every thing had happened so beautifully, 
“ Only,” she said, “ maybe I ought not to say 
‘happened.’ It is another one of the delicious 
‘ extra things’ Miss Havergal tells about; isn’t 
it, Mrs. Huntly? Indeed, my whole life seems 
full of the extra things lately. I don’t know 
where to begin to thank God for all his gifts to 
me.” 

“ ‘ Forget not a// his benefits, ’ " said Mrs. 


Surprises. 


143 


Meyer. “ I suppose the Lord knew they were 
so numerous that we should forget most of 
them ; but he begs us not to forget all.” 

After a little more time spent in pleas- 
ant talk and admiring the beautiful scenery 
through which they were passing Mr. Huntly 
said : 

“ One is so liable to neglect his regular 
Bible study when traveling that I propose we 
get our Bibles out and improve these mo- 
ments.” 

“Just what I was thinking of/' said Mrs. 
Meyer. Kate also entered into the plan with 
alacrity. So did Helen, outwardly; but as 
the others rummaged around in the satchels for 
the Bibles she could not help but think, What 
was the use of much Bible study anyway ! It 
can’t help her any. Hadn’t she prayed and 
prayed ? and she never had felt so wretched in 
all her life as she did that minute. 

“ Helen,” said Kate, looking up at that mo- 
ment, “ I can’t open this valise. I can’t 
imagine what is the matter with it.” 

“You poor child,” said Mr. Huntly, pity- 
ing her red face, “ I ought to have noticed you 
before.” 


144 


A Little Leaven. 


But neither could he open it, with all his 
efforts, without breaking the lock. 

“ Never mind,'* said Helen, “ I can look over 
with Kate.” 

“ Fortunately I have two Bibles,” said Mrs. 
Huntly. “ Take this one, Helen, and I will 
use my Revised. Now we are all right.” 


Heart Life. 


145 


CHAPTER XI. 

HEART LIFE. 

« ELEN took the Bible and slowly turned 
the leaves toward the chapter Mr. Huntly 
suggested for their study. Suddenly her 
eyes chanced to fall on an extract written 
on one of the blank leaves: ‘‘The personal 
love of Christ to you, delighted in, returned, is 
actually, simply, truly, without exaggeration, 
the deepest joy and the deepest feeling that 
the heart of man or woman can know. It will 
absolutely satisfy your heart. It would satisfy 
your heart if it were his will that you should 
spend the rest of your life alone in a dun- 
geon.’' 

Helen sat with her eyes riveted on the pas- 
sage. “ The love of Christ delighted in, re- 
turned ; it will absolutely satisfy.” Heart- 
hunger is hard to bear at best. It was new to 
this young girl. The past few weeks had 
seemed years to her, and the life stretching out 

before her looked so empty, so utterly un- 
10 


46 


A Little Leaven. 


attractive. Yet here was something promising 
absolute satisfaction ; “ The. love of Christ de- 
lighted in, returned — 

“Don’t you think so, Miss Helen?” asked 
Mr. Huntly, at the end of a long sentence. 
He had not noticed her abstraction, though 
his wife had. 

“ O, yes, sir ; or, that is, I dare say I should, 
only I was thinking about something else,” 
said Helen, confusedly. 

“ Never mind, dear,’* said Mrs. Huntly, giv- 
ing Helen’s hand a re-assuring little touch. 
She wondered what it was that had made the 
change in Helen which she had been so quick 
to notice. “ Sometimes it is better to study 
alone than with others.” 

Helen was glad to escape without being 
obliged to answer. She would have resolutely 
turned her attention to the Bible discussion 
now, but the matter they were talking of 
seemed finished, and silence had fallen over 
the little group. Helen tried to read, or to 
watch the little waves and the green shores in 
the distance ; but every-where she looked those 
words seemed burning before her eyes : The 
love of Christ delighted in, returned ! ” She 


Heart Life. 


147 


closed the Bible hurriedly and gave it back to 
Mrs. Huntly. She felt as if she should stifle, 
and was more than glad to see Mrs. Huntly 
put the book away. For the moment she 
thought she never wanted to see a Bible again. 

“ Who wants to go on an exploring expedi- 
tion with me ? ” she cried, jumping to her feet. 
“ I am going up those little iron stairs. Is that 
what they call the hurricane deck ? I think the 
view will be much better up there.” 

I will go,” said Mrs. Huntly. “That will 
give you people a chance to finish your study. 
You have no mind to put up your books yet, 
I see.” 

So they two started “ up stairs, down stairs, 
and in the lady’s chamber,” as Helen laugh- 
ingly quoted — that is, into the pilot-house, 
where they could see the big wheel and its 
watchful guardian, but where the placards on 
the wall warned them not to talk. This would 
never do for Helen’s restless mood, and in a 
minute she was out again. They sat down for 
a moment on the breeziest seat of the upper 
deck. 

“ Isn’t this fine?” said Helen, with a mo- 
mentary whiff of enjoyment. But in the next 


148 


A Little Leaven. 


breath she added dolefully, “ O dear ! I wonder 
when we shall be there.” 

“ What is the matter, Helen ? ” said Mrs. 
Huntly, anxiously. She questioned whether 
she ought to ask her outright ; but any thing 
was better than this. 

Helen did not speak; she could not. The 
touch of sympathy in the question unnerved 
her. She was making the greatest effort at 
self-control. Not for worlds would she let any 
one know her shameful secret, for so she called 
it ; and least of all this woman — his aunt. 

“ I am an older woman than you are, my 
dear Helen," said Mrs. Huntly, tenderly, after 
a little pause. “ Maybe I could help you if 
you would let me. Won’t you let me be a 
kind of mother to you in this trouble?" 

Helen could control herself no longer. She 
cried violently. It was the first time she had 
given way before any one, but the tenderness 
in Mrs. Huntly’s voice was too much for her 
self-control. Her friend sat quietly by her 
until the first outbreak was over. 

“Can’t you tell me, dear? Only I don’t 
want to urge you to tell unless you really want 
to do so." 


Heart Life. 


149 


want to tell you, but I can’t. I wouldn’t 
tell any body for all the world. It is noth- 
ing — just my own foolishness and wicked- 
ness. Don’t trouble yourself about me. I 
shall live through it — at least I suppose I 
shall.” 

There was such hopelessness in the pathetic 
after-thought that Mrs. Huntly’s heart ached. 
She thought she knew Helen well, but this 
was an entirely new phase of character in her, 
for which she could not account. 

My dear girl,” said she, at length, with an 
earnest uplifting of her heart for guidance, “ I 
am sure you would not feel this way, no matter 
how heavy your sorrow is, if you were telling 
Jesus and trusting him about it.” 

“ I have tried to tell him. But it’s all my 
own foolishness,” said Helen. 

Does the Bible anywhere say we must not 
talk to God about the trouble our own foolish- 
ness has brought on ? ” 

Mrs. Huntly,” sobbed Helen, “you don’t 
know the worst of it. I have had such 
thoughts and feelings lately I am afraid I am 
not a Christian at all.” 

“ That makes no difference,” replied her 


A Little Leaven. 


150 

friend, too wise to argue the question with this 
perplexed and tempted soul. 

“ Makes no difference ! ” 

“Not a bit. Doesn’t the Lord say, ‘Who- 
soever will, let him come ? ’ That is wide 
enough to take in every body who wants — 
who ‘wills’ — to come. If Satan tempts you 
to doubt that you are a Christian the best 
way is not to argue the question with him, but 
just take the low ground he would drive you 
to. He cannot drive you too low for the loving 
Christ to reach. Don’t argue with the adver- 
sary. Say ‘ Well, suppose I am not a Chris- 
tian ; then I am a sinner, and Jesus specially 
invites sinners. If I never really and truly came 
to him before I will come now, for he says, 
‘ Whosoever will may come.’ You will com- 
pletely foil the tempter in that way. Don’t 
you see, dear, that his one great object has 
been to separate you from Jesus?” 

Helen listened eagerly. Light was begin- 
ning to come. “ I thought I should have to 
straighten matters all out,” said she ; “ and I 

tried and tried, but could not.” 

“It is a very blessed thing that we do not 
have to straighten matters out before handing 


Heart Life. 


151 

them to him, for we never could do it ; we 
should only weary and perplex ourselves try- 
ing. Just bring the tangled and too-hard 
thing directly to him, put it into his hands and 
leave it there. You are trying to divide 
things up exactly, so you can say, ‘ This is my 
foolishness ; this is my sin ; this is my temp- 
tation.’ You never can do it in the world. 
Just roll every thing up into a bundle, put it 
into his hands, and leave it there. One def- 
inition of trusting might be leaving. Can’t 
you just leave every thing with Jesus, Helen 
If you knew how he loved you you would find 
it very easy.” 

The mention of love carried Helen’s mind 
back to the passage in the Bible. 

“Are you always full. of joy, Mrs. Huntly?” 
asked she, almost abruptly. 

“ ‘ In thy presence is fullness of joy,’ ” said 
Mrs. Huntly, softly. 

“ But I always thought that meant heaven.” 

“ It doubtless does mean heaven, but it 
means, also, any place which is ‘in his presence.* 
That is what makes heaven — his presence. And 
sometimes he gives us so much of it here that 
we have literally a heaven to go to heaven in.” 


152 


A Little Leaven. 


“ Did you ever have a really deep sorrow, 
Mrs. Huntly — something that took every bit 
of joy and happiness out of your life so that 
the whole green earth turned gray to you ? 

If Helen had been older she would not have 
asked the question ; but sorrow is selfish and 
thoughtless, especially the sorrow of youth. 

“Yes,^’ said Mrs. Huntly, and her voice 
trembled. “ I have passed through some deep 
waters ; but I had one sorrow when I was a 
girl just about your age, dear child. Maybe 
the Lord would have me tell you about it.’^ 

Mrs'. Huntly’s face had turned very pale. 
Helen dared not say another word. She sat 
awed and trembling before the intensity of 
feeling she had awakened. 

After a little Mrs. Huntly said again: 

“ When I was of your age, Helen, I was en- 
gaged to be married to a young man in every 
way honorable and worthy. We were both 
Christians. He had received his appointment 
as a missionary to Japan. That field was just 
opening then. This was our plan, but not 
God’s. He died a few weeks before we were 
to have been married — sacrificed his life in a 
noble effort to save the life of a friend. I can- 


Heart Life. 


153 


not give you particulars. The effort was in 
vain ; but he was sure that he did right in 
making it. And what was I, that I should 
withstand him ? I think I can truly say ” — she 
paused and looked out over the blue waters — 
“ that I was not for one moment rebellious or 
unsubmissive. I did not question that the 
blow was from my loving Father’s hand ; but 
none the less it crushed me. That expresses 
it better than any thing else I can say. All 
the life and hope seemed crushed out of me. 
I was an orphan, you know ; had not even a 
father to live for, as you have, dear. I had 
kind and loving friends, but not one of them 
pointed out the sinfulness of my depression 
nor the unbelief from which it sprang. Why, 
Helen, you will hardly believe me, but for 
years my first thought of the morning was like 
poor Job’s, ‘ Would God that it were evening ; ’ 
and at night I thanked God that one more 
dreadful day was gone. The dead, flat level 
of my life stretching out before me seemed in- 
tolerable. I tried to find relief in Christian 
work, but they would not send me to Japan, 
where I wanted to go, and I could not seem 
to find an open door to any thing else. The 


154 A Little Leaven. 

Lord’s hand was in it. He wanted to show 
me that relief must come, not even from his 
work, blessed as it is, but from himself.” 

Mrs. Huntly paused again, but still Helen, 
though deeply interested, dared not break the 
silence. 

“ It came through the word,” she resumed 
finally. “ When will the children of God under- 
stand the treasure they have there ! One winter 
my pastor asked me to prepare a series of Bible 
studies for our little church paper ; just to select 
a few texts, he said, on subjects which he would 
assign me. One of these subjects was Joy. I 
remember well the feeling of almost being 
mocked with which I took up the subject. 
* Joy.’ What had I to do with joy ? The very 
word stung me. But I determined to go 
through with it. My pastor lent me a con- 
cordance and told me how to use it ; and I 
began to look up the texts about Joy, then 
Peace, then Happiness ; for you see studying 
about one sent me off on another. And, Helen, 
it was perfectly plain to me in a few days that 
the child of God might be joyful — ]oy-full — in 
him, quite independent of earthly circum- 
stances. Then followed naturally the thought, 


Heart Life. 


155 


if one may be happy in the Lord, one ought 
to be. Paul commands, ‘ Rejoice in the Lord.’ 
And old Nehemiah says, ^ The joy of the Lord 
is your strength.’ Then came a terrible con- 
viction of sin, that I had so dishonored my 
high calling in Christ Jesus — so lived below 
my privilege, in the atmosphere of suffering 
and darkness by which I had surrounded my- 
self for four long years; for it was four years, 
Helen, and the pain and desolation seemed 
just as bad as ever. Then followed a time of 
confusion and temptation something like yours, 
I think, my dear. Could I be a Christian at all 
and feel as I did ? Moreover, I did not feel 
differently, now that I believed I might and 
ought to. I saw clearly the mount of privilege 
before me, but I could not see how to reach 
it. However, I was fairly aroused. I deter- 
mined I would get at the bottom of the matter 
if it were within the reach of human possibil- 
ities. I prayed and fasted. You know Paul 
said to Timothy that, ‘ bodily exercise profiteth 
for a little ’ — that is the way it reads in the 
Revised — and I hoped my fasting helped a 
little. But, best of all, I studied the New 
Testament as I never studied any thing in my 


156 A Little Leaven. 

life. I began at Matthew and read it through, 
carefully noting down all the passages that I 
thought referred to a life of joy and victory in 
Jesus. The evidence that such a life was 
God’s ideal for his children was simply over- 
whelming. Then I went over the ground 
again, searching for the way. I wonder now 
that the adversary could so hold my eyes, for 
it shines out on every page; but I did not find 
the least clew to it until I found that phrase in 
Romans, ‘joy in the Holy Ghost.’ That set 
me to studying the work of the Holy Spirit, and 
I saw that in New Testament times joy and 
victory and peace and overcoming came to 
the Church as the baptism of the Holy Spirit 
came to the souls of believers. The baptism 
of the Spirit — that was what I wanted. I saw 
how, in the old times, when the Spirit came, 
the disciples rejoiced with full hearts ; but my 
heart was empty and desolate. So I began to 
pray definitely and persistently for the help of 
the Spirit. My longing for it became intense, 
irresistible. How I dared to hope for it I 
hardly know — one so useless and unworthy as 
1 . Perhaps I should not have dared, only I 
could do nothing else. The Lord drove me 


Heart Life. 


157 


out of every covert — I know now it was the 
Lord — and inspired in my heart such a longing 
for this one, special, definite thing — the help 
of the Spirit — that it seemed to me I could 
not live without it. There was nothing in life 
worth living for without it. My past life 
seemed such a failure, especially those years 
spent in mourning. 

“ One night in the midst of my praying 
there came such an uplift, such an outpouring 
upon my desolate, empty heart, as I can never 
describe. I was perfectly satisfied. That is 
saying a great deal, but it is strictly true, I 
was perfectly satisfied that my prayer was an- 
swered, and perfectly satisfied with the an- 
swer. The vessel, earthen though it was, was 
full. I can’t tell you about it, Helen ; but my 
cup ran over. As David said, ‘ He made me to 
drink of the river of his pleasure!^ 

Helen was crying again, but more quietly, 
and the tears were quietly dropping over Mrs. 
Huntly’s face, too ; but it was not a sad face. 

“ And now, Helen, dear child, the sweetest, 
most wonderful thing I have yet to tell you. 
The work of the Spirit on my soul that night 
was not some indefinite, misty thing. As 


158 


A Little Leaven. 


soon as I could collect myself to notice any 
thing I noticed that the one thought in my 
mind was Jesus! The one presence with me 
was Jesus. I was too happy then to try to 
understand any thing. I could only feast on 
his love and exult in his presence ; but I un- 
derstood it afterward. In that wonderful 
table-talk of his, the night before his crucifixion, 
Jesus told his followers that the special work 
of the Spirit was to ‘ take of the things of 
Christ and reveal them unto us.’ That is why 
the Spirit was not given, in that sense, until 
Jesus was glorified, as is said in John vii, 39. 
I think the work of the Spirit for the Chris- 
tian in New Testament times is to introduce 
the soul fully to Christ, teaching us how to 
find in him perfect fullness of supply for all 
our need. Of course I knew Christ before — 
knew him as my Saviour and my dear friend ; 
but I did not know him as my satisjier — I do 
not know how else to express it. I had not 
learned how to appropriate him to ‘ supply all 
my need.’ I can’t tell you, Helen, how per- 
fectly that terrible heart-hunger that had 
lasted for years was met by him. No one can 
possibly understand it if he has not felt it. 


Heart Life. 


159 


You know David says, ‘ Whom have I in 
heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth 
that I desire beside thee.’” 

Helen did not speak, but, wonderful as the 
story was, she could not help thinking that 
even if this was true in the past Mrs. Huntly’s 
life was full now of earthly friendships and 
love. She had her devoted husband and her 
large circle of loving friends. Mrs. Huntly 
could not see her thoughts, but God did. Did 
he not direct the next words? 

“ It was only a year after that that I mar- 
ried Mr. Huntly. But the happiness that has 
come to me these years would not have been 
possible if God had not first of all given me a 
healed and whole heart to be happy with. 
And then when our one precious baby died ” 
— Helen never knew of this, or she would not 
have asked if her friend had ever had a sorrow 
— “ the light of our home went out ; that is, the ' 
earthly \ but Jesus remained. We don’t 
miss our lamps so much if the sun is shining.” 

“ Tim-neiM ” shouted Mr. Huntly, standing 
half-way up the little iron stairs. 

And “Com-f;/^.'” replied his wife, in the 
same key. 


i6o A Little Leaven. 

“Well, Helen, dear, my story has been a 
long one. I hope I haven’t wearied you.” 

“Wearied me!” exclaimed Helen. “I 
can’t tell you how much I thank you.” 

“ Let me add just a word of caution, my 
dear. The Lord doesn’t deal with us all in 
the same way. I have met a great many peo- 
ple who have entered into rest, but I never 
yet heard any two of them tell quite the same 
story. Don’t pattern after any one’s experi- 
ence. Don’t seek an ‘ experience ; ’ just seek 
the Lord Jesus himself. Let him lead you on, 
and you’ll be led aright. If he gives you a 
spirit of prayer, why, pray ; but don’t think 
you will earn help even by prayer. I have 
known people to make that mistake. But 
they are waiting for us to go to dinner.” 

After dinner, Helen came to Mrs. Huntly 
with a timid request that she might again 
borrow her Bible. She carried it up to the 
seat where they had their long talk and 
studied it there all the afternoon. There were 
a number of references noted down under the 
extract that had so wrought upon her that 
morning, and these she now carefully looked 
up and compared. It was easy to get at Mrs. 


Heart Life. 


i6i 


Huntly’s meaning by her peculiar system of 
marking and underlining. The verses were 
arranged in sets. Helen read : 

Psa. xlii, I. “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, 
so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth 
for God, for the living God.” 

John vii, 37. “Jesus stood and cried: If any man thirst 
let him come unto me and drink.” 

Psa. Ixiii, i. “ My soul thirsteth for thee in a diy and 
thirsty land where no water is.” (“ That's my land,” thought 
Flelen, “ dry as ashes.”) 

Isa. xliv, 3. “I will pour water on him that is thirsty, and 
floods upon the dry ground.” 

Judg. i, 15. “ Give me a blessing. Thou hast given me 

a south land, give me also springs of water.” 

Psa. Ixxxvii, 7. “ All my springs are in thee.” 

Psa. xvi, II. “In thy presence is fullness of joy, at thy 
right hand are pleasures for evermore.” 

Matt, xxviii, 20. “ Lo, I am with you alway, even unto 

the end of the world.” 

11 


A Little Leaven. 


162 


CHAPTER XIL 

OLD TRUTHS. 

« ELEN finished her Bible study and sat 
looking out over the blue water sparkling 
in the afternoon sun. There must be 
sufficient in the Lord to satisfy even her 
heart. The very thought seemed to quiet her 
troubled soul. 

Presently Mrs. Meyer came and sat down 
beside her. 

“ Have you found something specially good 
here ? ** asked she, taking up the Bible. 

Something kept Helen back from telling 
her friend the details of her conversation with 
Mrs. Huntly, so she simply replied, 

‘‘ I was reading some passages about joy 
and rest.” 

Mrs. Meyer studied covertly the saddened 
face of the young girl by her side with a half- 
unconscious prayer for guidance. 

“ Did you ever study Canaan as a type of 
of rest ? ” said she. 


Old Truths. 163 

“ I thought Canaan was a type of heaven,” 
said Helen. 

“ So it may be, I suppose, but not so strik- 
ingly as it is of the rest of the soul that God 
wants all his children to come into while they 
are still in this world, I think,” responded Mrs. 
Meyer. 

Helen said nothing, and after a little Mrs. 
Meyer resumed : 

“ It is wonderful how the experience of 
God’s people nowadays was foreshadowed 
by the history of his covenant people of old. 
The nation was a remarkable type of the in- 
dividual.” 

“ Don’t you think that those types and 
symbols are sometimes carried too far ? ” 
asked Helen, as perversely as she dared. 

“Undoubtedly,” replied her friend; “but 
in this case we may be sure we are right, be- 
cause Paul gives us our warrant. Don’t you 
remember how he says in his first letter to 
the Corinthians, referring to this very history, 

‘ these things were our ensamples,’ and again, 

‘ they are written for our admonition ? ’ What 
could be a better picture of the way some 
Christians live than the way those people 


164 A Little Leaven. 

stumbled around in the desert forty years, so 
often hungry and thirsty and harassed by their 
enemies ?” 

Hungry and thirsty and harassed by ene- 
mies ! What could be a better picture of her- 
self Helen thought. And she spoke, half to 
herself : “ I wish I knew the way in.” 

“Some people go in by the cleft Jordan,*’ 
said her friend, “ a great and wonderful crisis 
in their lives ; but others go a shorter way, 
more direct, and not less blessed. God would 
have led his people in by a very short way if 
they would only have trustfully followed. 
Trustfully follow, dear child, and you’ll find 
the way in very soon, I think. God doesn’t 
keep any one out a moment longer than he 
can help. Don’t wait for a struggle; only fol- 
low and trust.” 

The party stayed at the islands a week. 
All the rest of the company went day after 
day, with unflagging interest, over to the 
auditorium, where all sorts of missionary topics 
were being discussed, but they could hardly coax 
Helen away from her Bible, which had sud- 
denly regained all its old fascination. Her 
favorite hiding-place was up on the topmost 


Old Truths. 


165 

rock of the island, where she would sit by the 
hour, book in hand, sometimes reading, but 
oftener looking out over the blue, blue river, 
and always with a smile on her face. She had 
found the way in. 

She did attend some of the meetings, 
though, and in one of them heard Dr. Long, 
who had worked many years in Japan, tell of 
the first revival in that country — how the 
boys for whom he had so long been praying, 
at last, in a prayer-meeting all by themselves, 
sought the Lord, with really awakened, ear- 
nest hearts, and one after another came out 
into the light. Dr, Long went on to tell how, 
when he wondered at the boys’ long absence 
and went to find them, they all rushed at him 
at once to tell their story. One of the older 
ones finally got the first word, and this was 
what he said : 

“ O teacher, teacher ! I cannot tell it in 
this foolish Japanese tongue, and I don’t think 
I could tell it if I had your tongue, nor if I 
had an angel’s tongue ; but one poor heart,” 
and he laid his hand over his heart, “ can feel 
it all ! ” 

How Helen’s own heart thrilled ; Japanese 


1 66 A Little Leaven. 

or American, it was all the same. “ One poor 
heart could feel it all ! ’’ 

And so it happened that the trip to the 
Thousand Islands did marvelous things for one 
girl who was not going to be a missionary. 

After their return home the girls saw a great 
deal more of Delle than had been their cus- 
tom of late. She ran in for short morning 
calls and long afternoon visits. During one of 
the latter she suddenly asked of Kate : 

“ What would you do if you knew you were 
to die at twelve o’clock to-night ?” 

“Why, I hardly know,” said Kate, “but I 
think I should do very much as usual. Read 
my Bible, say my prayers, and go to bed.” 

“ Pooh ! ” answered Delle, with a disdainful 
little sniff, “ you wouldn’t do any such thing.” 

“ Well,” said Kate,” laughing a little, “ I said 
I could not tell surely. But really, Delle, I 
think I should do very much that way,” she 
added, earnestly. “ I should probably pray 
some, and write some letters, too. Why ? 
What would you do ? ” 

“ I haven’t a doubt but I should do some 
praying,” said Delle trying to laugh. 

“ I believe the Lord gives his children a cer- 


Old Truths. 


167 

tain courage to meet death with,” said Kate, 
earnestly. You know the Lord Jesus himself 
said : ‘ If a man keep my sayings he shall never 
see death.’ It may be only an idea of mine, 
but I really believe, Delle, that when we come 
to die we shall see the Saviour, and shall be so 
taken up with him that we shall literally 
not see death. At any rate, I feel secure 
about it.” 

The conversation passed to other things, 
but Delle found it quite impossible to banish 
Kate’s words from her mind. Could she be 
telling her the truth } ** Could a bright young 

girl like Kate be not afraid to die.^ ” she asked 
herself. She could not think of death without 
a shudder. 

“ I am not much of a Christian, that’s a 
fact,” she finally admitted to herself. “ I 
must Jo more. I think I will take a class in 
Sunday-school. My life does seem unsatis- 
factory. I ought to read the Bible more, 
too.” 

In spite of these good resolutions and cer- 
tain spasmodic efforts in various kinds of re- 
ligious work the fearful feeling still clung to 
her. Indeed, instead of feeling better or more 


1 68 A Little Leaven. 

secure, she felt worse. How she envied Kate 
and Helen their happiness ! And as the light 
in her soul increased she saw more and more 
clearly what an utter failure her life was. 
How she longed to test the direction she 
heard in almost every one of Dr. Long’s ser- 
mons, to bring it — miserable failure as it was 
— to the Lord Jesus! But right here her 
pride rose up like a great mountain. She 
would wait until she had accomplished some- 
thing and had something to offer when she 
came. She could not come with nothing, ab- 
solutely nothing in her hands. Poor, foolish 
girl 1 How hard she tried during those hot 
summer days to work out — no, work in — her 
own salvation. She did take a class in Sun- 
day-school. The superintendent, glad of any 
help just at that time, gave her a class of 
restless boys, hoping she could at least awe 
them into quiet by her dignity. But alas for 
Delle, and alas for the superintendent’s hopes ! 
The boys positively refused to be awed. They 
were not mission-school boys, either. Dear 
me, no. They all wore the trimmest of suits, 
the whitest of collars and the daintiest of 
neck-ties. But they were boys for all that. 


Old Truths. 


169 

Delle found herself on her first Sunday 
quickly through with the lesson story, and 
beyond that she had not a thought. Now the 
boys were perfectly willing to be entertained 
by their teacher, but as soon as entertainment 
ceased from her they proposed to seek it else- 
where. On the whole it was a very unsatis- 
factory half hour, Delle acknowledged to her- 
self as she sat down at the tap of the superin- 
tendent’s bell, her cheeks burning and her 
heart full of indignation toward those “ awful 
boys.” To make matters worse Kate had a 
class that day very near hers, and Delle felt 
sure she had seen and heard all the dreadfully 
mortifying things. She had failed, and it is 
not pleasant to fail. She would not give up, 
however. She must do something. With this 
thought in mind she tried to visit the homes 
of some of the industrial school children. But 
she found them so horribly dirty and the 
women so coarse and rude that she stopped 
with but one attempt, and the failure in- 
creased, if possible, the turmoil in her soul. 
The question had gradually come to be the 
absorbing one. She could hardly get it out 
of her thoughts a moment. Without realizing 


170 A Little Leaven. 

how great the need of their friend really was 
Helen and Kate were steadily praying for her, 
and their own contented and consistent lives 
were doing much to answer their prayers. 
God used it to show Delle the contrast be- 
tween what a life may be and what hers was. 

One evening the troubled girl, who had 
fallen into the habit of reading her Bible 
punctiliously before going to bed, chanced to 
open to the third chapter of John, and her atten- 
tion was attracted to the last verse. She read 
it aloud : He that believeth on the Son hath 
everlasting life.” Everlasting life ! That was 
what she wanted and what she despaired of 
securing by her own efforts. And here it 
was promised simply by believing. Why, it 
seemed to be offered for the taking. Could 
it be all so simple? She fell on her knees 
with her Bible open before her. ** Lord Jesus,” 
she said, and her heart went into the direct 
request as it had never done before, “do 
teach me what this means. Thou sayest here 
that he that believeth hath everlasting life. 
What is it to believe? Help me to believe! 
I must have help. I cannot live this way any 
longer ; yet I am afraid to die. Give me that 


Old Truths. 


71 


everlasting life. I can’t do any thing, Lord.” 
Suddenly there came floating back through 
her memory, brought there, a philosopher 
would say, in the most thoroughly natural 
way by the law of association of ideas, yet 
none the less God-sent, the words of an old 
hymn that she had not thought of for years ; 

“ Weary, working, toiling one, 

Wherefore toil you so ? 

Cease your doing ; all was done 
Long, long ago. 

‘ It is finished; ’ yes, indeed. 

Finished every jot ; 

Sinner, this is all you need ; 

Tell me, is it not? ” 

Why, yes, of course, it was. Jesus had done 
it all ; finished the work ; shed his blood to 
purchase salvation for her. She would just 
take it from his hand. 

She rose and prepared herself for bed. “ He 
that believeth hath everlasting life,” she re- 
peated to herself as she laid her head upon 
her pillow. She went to sleep and slept all 
night — a thing she had not done for months. 

The next day she was a little disappointed 
that she had no more feeling, as she termed it. 
The only way in which things were changed 


1/2 


A Little Leaven. 


was that she seemed able to trust the Lord ; 
and when the old fears entered her mind she 
turned them over, one by one, to the Lord 
Jesus, with the prayer, often unspoken, “ Lord, 
thou must take care of these things, I can’t.” 
So matters went on till Saturday, when she 
went with the girls to the industrial school. In 
the course of the afternoon Kate was talking 
to some one right behind her, and in the midst 
of the conversation Kate asked this question : 

“ Do you know that you are a child of 
God ?” Delle never knew to whom the ques- 
tion was addressed nor the answer. She was 
busy with her own heart, out of whose depths 
the answer came decidedly and quickly, I do, 
I do.” It was the first time her heart had ever 
responded, and O, the blessed feeling of rest 
that rolled over her ! It was settled at last. 
Those weeks of waiting and working were over. 

“Just look at Delle,” Helen whispered to 
Kate, shortly after. “ There is no sham about 
her interest in that dreadful little midget by 
her side. One would suppose that she had 
turned apron-hems all her life.” 

“ I have been watching her for at least five 
minutes,” answered Kate. 


Old Truths. 


173 

“ Mamma,” said Delle, that evening, as she 
entered the library after dinner, “ I should 
like to talk to you and papa a little while.” 

“ Why, certainly, child,” said Mrs. Prescott, 
looking at her daughter sharply. Mrs. Prescott 
had heard Mrs. Meyer’s missionary address ; so 
she had no heart to oppose strongly Belle’s 
work in the industrial school. Taking every 
thing together this had been a queer summer 
for the whole Prescott family. Mrs. Prescott 
had proposed various trips to the seaside or 
mountains, as had been their custom, but 
Delle had persuaded her to allow her to stay 
at home, so she had stayed with her. Just now 
Calla and the two boys were in the country 
with Mr. Prescott’s brother’s family, leaving 
Delle and her mother and father at home 
alone. Mrs. Prescott was not the woman to 
yield easily such important points ; but, to tell 
the truth, Delle had not been alone in her 
struggles with herself all those weeks. Some- 
thing in Mrs. Meyer’s address, a tender refer- 
ence to her girlhood days in the happy country, 
and her religious experience that had begun 
there, touched a chord in Mrs. Prescott’s heart 
that had been vibrating ever since. It had 


174 


A Little Leaven. 


brought up again the little country church 
where long years ago her soul had been born 
again, one sweet May morning. Why, she 
could see the very picture she used to love so 
to watch through the open window ; the green 
wheat fields, the orchard on the hill-side, the 
very sweet-brier bush that brushed its branches 
against the window-casing, lading the spring 
breeze with its delicate perfume. She heard 
again the sweet words of invitation from the 
pastor’s lips, “ Come unto me, all ye that 
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you 
rest.” How far she had wandered from the 
simplicity of those early days ! How little 
true rest she had known ! But how she longed 
at any price to possess it again ! Some strange 
intuition told that Delle was to speak of these 
things now, and her heart was warm toward 
her child. Mr. Prescott rose and drew a chair 
toward the open window where they had both 
been sitting. 

“ How good it is to have you both at home 
with me ! ” he said. “ I feel guilty for letting 
you stay, though. Is it a new hat you want, 
Sis, or a trip to Newport ? ” 

“ Neither one, papa,” answered Delle, kiss- 


Old Truths. 


175 


ing him on both cheeks ; “ I want to tell you 
something. And, papa dear, you won’t be 
angry with me, will you ? — no matter what I 
say.’* 

“ I suspect some kind of an argumentum ad 
hominem^' he answered, laughingly, “ and 
can’t be drawn into any wholesale promises. 
However, let us have the talk.” 

So Delle told the story of the weeks of 
doubt and fear and distress, closing with the 
experience of that afternoon. By the time 
she had finished the room had grown so dark 
that she could not see her mother’s face. 
There was a silence of a moment, then her 
father, rising, laid his hand on her head and 
said, with a voice vibrating with emotion. 

The Lord bless and keep you faithful, my 
child,” and hastily left the room. 

Delle turned tremblingly toward her mother. 
Feeling, rather than seeing, the movement, 
her mother began, 

“ I have been no help to you, dear, in these 
things. I am afraid I have been a positive 
hinderance, instead. But it helps me to hear 
the story you have told me, and I am going 
to start afresh with you.” 


A Little Leaven. 


176 

Taking every thing into consideration, 
Delle thought it was the happiest day of 
her life, as she finally sought her room and 
sat in the quiet moonlight. Her heart was 
full of peace and joy. “ Peace is like clear 
still water,” she remembered hearing some one 
say, “ but joy is the water tossed up into 
tumultous waves.” She was feeling the dash 
of the joyous waves. 

It was the last week in August before the 
girls were again together in the old prayer- 
meeting room. It was the first prayer-meet- 
ing after Dr. Long returned from his vacation. 
Delle went with her mother, and more than 
one heart had occasion to remember that 
August night prayer-meeting. 

Helen and Kate never knew just how it 
happened, but at dinner that evening Mr. 
Darkness announced his intention of going to 
prayer-meeting. The girls were both too 
much surprised to make any comment, and 
Mr. Harkness offered no explanation of his 
strange determination. Helen walked by her 
father’s side in a sort of a dream. Kate ear- 
nestly hoped that some word of the prayers or 
songs might touch his heart. She was so busy 


Old Truths. 


177 


with her thoughts of him that she did not 
notice the turn the meeting had taken until 
she saw Delle Prescott standing. What was 
she saying ? Kate was so bewildered and sur- 
prised that for a moment she could not hear 
her. She was still more astonished when next 
she heard Mrs. Prescott’s voice. Could it be 
possible that Mrs. Prescott was actually speak- 
ing in prayer-meeting! Would wonders never 
cease ! 

It seemed not, for at that moment Mr. Pres- 
cott rose in the back part of the room. 

“ I want to add a few words to what has 
been said,” said he. “ I have wandered far 
away, but I thank the Lord that he never lost 
his hold on me. When I came in to-night I 
did not expect to take any part in the meeting, 
but since I have been sitting here I have re- 
solved to give my life again to the Lord and 
start out anew with my wife and daughter.” 

When he sat down Dr. Long rose and be- 
gan singing ‘‘ Praise God, from whom all bless- 
ings flow.” 

The moment the singing ceased Helen’s 
father rose to his feet and said : “ I am glad I 

can count myself among the saved to-night.” 

12 


178 


A Little Leaven. 


Helen did not hear much of what followed. 
Her father, her father was really saved at last ! 
How good the Lord was ! Her mind flew back 
to the first prayer she ever offered aloud in the 
little prayer-meeting at the Training School 
in far-away Chicago. How many, many had 
gone up for him since ! Here was the answer. 

“ We shall always remember this evening,” 
said Dr. Long, as he gave Helen’s hand a hearty 
grasp after the meeting closed ; “ I rejoice with 
you. 

“ I need some one to help me rejoice,” 
answered Helen, “ I am so happy. And so is 
Kate,” she added, turning and looking into 
Kate’s shining face. 

“ Indeed I am,” answered Kate ; “ it gives 
me faith to go on praying for Robert and 
mamma,” she added, in a lower tone to Dr. 
Long. 

“ ‘ He is faithful that promised,’ ” quoted 
the doctor. 

Just at that moment Mrs. Hudson came up, 
and, holding out her hand to Mr. Harkness, 
said : 

“ Jesus of Nazareth is passing by, and many 
are getting his blessing. I have prayed for 


Old Truths. 


179 

you twenty years,” she added, with a tremble 
in her voice. 

** You have been a faithful friend,” said Mr. 
Harkness, grasping her hand. “ I thank the 
Lord I have had such a friend.” 

“ O, I am so glad for you, Delle,” said Kate, 
going over by Belle’s side. 

“ I knew you would be ; now we can be real 
friends once more.” 

“ Won’t it be delightful ?” said Helen, joining 
the group ; “ I do believe I am the most thank- 
ful girl in the world to-night.” 


A Little Leaven. 


i8o 


CHAPTER XIIL 

A THANK-OFFERING. 

next afternoon Mrs. Hudson came to 
see Helen and Kate for the purpose of 
^ asking some questions, as she said. 

“When does the Training School open?’’ 
she asked of Kate. 

“They are waiting for the new building,” 
Kate answered. “ Mrs. Meyer hopes it will be 
ready by the first of November at the latest.” 

“That is two months yet,” said Mrs. Hud- 
son. “ I want to tell you girls of a thought 
that has been in my mind ever since about 
twelve o’clock last night. We had such a 
wonderful meeting, and I was so happy, that 
after I had gone to bed I couldn’t go to sleep. 
I felt so grateful that your father had finally 
come over on the Lord’s side, Helen. Your 
mother was a praying woman, child, and many 
a time she has told me how much she longed 
to have your father converted. You know I 
was with her when she died. Almost the last 


A Thank-Offering. i8i 

thing she said to me was, ‘ Mary, I want you 
to pray for my husband as long as you live.’ 
I promised I would and I have kept my word. 
For twenty years I have prayed for him. My 
heart was singing a song of joy last night ; I 
could not sleep, I was so happy. I kept trying 
to think of something I could give the Lord, as 
a sort of a thank-offering, you know. Well, I 
had nothing, and could think of nothing, until 
suddenly it flashed into my mind that I could 
give myself to the Training School.” Mrs. 
Hudson stopped and laughed at the two 
astonished girls before her who were both 
staring at her with wide open eyes. 

‘^To the Training School!” Helen finally 
found breath to say. 

‘^Yes,” said Mrs. Hudson. “I don’t know 
just how Mrs. Meyer could use me, but thought 
I might work in as a cook and general man- 
ager in the kitchen, perhaps. I know that 
none of the workers there get any salary, but 
I will have my board and I sha’n’t need much 
in the way of clothes. If the Lord really wants 
me to go I can trust him to supply those small 
incidentals. I want one of you girls to write 
and ask Mrs. Meyer if she can use me, and if 


i82 


A Little Leaven. 


she can I’ll be ready by November, or when- 
ever the school opens.” 

“Why, you are just what she has been 
longing for,” cried Kate. “ She told me once 
that the kitchen problem was a trying one, 
and that she would give any thing for a good 
competent woman there.” 

“It is lovely of you, Mrs. Hudson,” said 
Helen, enthusiastically. 

“ No, no; I feel so glad to do it. You see, I 
have no money to give and I shall be so thank- 
ful to give myself. I have health and strength. 
The Lord has blessed me wonderfully in that 
respect. I can’t be a missionary myself but I 
can work for those who are to be missionaries.” 

“ That is a beautiful work,” said Kate ; “ that 
is really the kind of work Mrs. Meyer does, 
and she doesn’t get a penny of salary, either.” 

“We have a bit of news for you to-night, 
papa,” said Helen, after they were seated at the 
dinner table that evening. 

“ News? ” replied her father. “ Don’t keep 
me waiting too long before you tell me.” 

“ Mrs. Hudson wants to go to the Training 
School next year,” watching her father’s 
face. 


A Thank-Offering. 183 

“ What !” exclaimed Mr. Harkness, dropping 
his soup spoon in his astonishment. 

“ It is really true,” Helen said, laughing at 
her father’s astonishment. Then she proceeded 
to tell the whole story. 

“And just think, papa, I thought I was the 
only one to pray for you, and Mrs. Hudson 
has been praying for so long;” and her eyes 
filled with tears. 

“ I think I am the one to make a thank- 
offering,” answered her father, earnestly. 

“ They pay no salaries there, I understand,” 
he continued after a brief pause. 

“Why, no,” said Helen. “Didn’t I tell you 
that part? Mrs. Hudson says she shall have 
her board free, and her clothes cost very little. 
She feels sure the Lord will supply all her 
need in that direction.” 

“ I think the Lord means to work through 
us in this, my little girl. We must see that the 
necessary clothes, traveling expenses, and so 
on, are forthcoming.” 

“I knew you would say that, papa,” cried 
Helen, triumphantly. “ I thought of it this 
afternoon when she was talking — though, of 
course, I said nothing. I wrote Mrs. Meyer at 


A Little Leaven. 


184 

once, and when I get her answer we will make 
Mrs. Hudson a call and tell her all about the 
good news, Kate.” 

met Delle this afternoon,” said Mr. 
Harkness. “ She said if you and Kate were 
willing she would come over to-morrow morn- 
ing and join you for your Bible study.” 

“We should be delighted,” said Helen. 
“ While I give the order for breakfast, Kate, 
you telephone Delle that we begin at half past 
eight these warm mornings.” 

The next morning, promptly on time, Delle 
made her appearance, and the three girls sought 
the study room. 

“ This is beautiful, Helen,” said Delle, as she 
glanced around the room from the well-filled 
book-shelves to the dainty curtains fluttering 
in the cool breeze. “ I haven’t been in this 
room since you refurnished it.” 

“ 1 have come for a lesson, daughter.” The 
girls turned quickly and saw Mr. Harkness 
standing in the door-way with a new Bible 
under his arm. “May I come in?’* he 
asked. 

“O papa,” cried Helen running to him and 
slipping her hand into his, while again the 


A Thank-Offering. 185 

quick tears filled her eyes, “ I am so glad ! 
Of course you may come’in.” 

“I shall most certainly decline the seat of 
honor,” said Mr. Harkness, smiling. “ I feel 
very humble, and certainly very ignorant. Do 
you know, my child, I never really read a 
dozen chapters in this book in my life,” hold- 
ing up his Bible. 

What a delight there is before you, then,” 
said Kate, brightly. “ It gets better and 
better, too.” 

“ It seems to me that if I am to live a Chris- 
tian,” said Mr. Harkness, “ I must know some- 
thing more of what my duty is, and I do not 
know of a better place to go for that than the 
Bible. So on my way home from the office 
last night I bought one.” 

“ I have been wanting to come over and 
study with the girls for weeks,” said Delle, 
“ but I am so utterly ignorant of the Bible. 
Why, I cannot even find my place quickly.” 

“ Neither could I, once,” said Kate, laugh- 
ing. “ Surely you have not forgotten my search 
for Exodus in your room, Delle ? ” 

“ Let us go over again the lesson on the 
books of the Bible,” said Helen. 


1 86 


A Little Leaven. 


“ So we will ; that helped us all so much. 
But it will do us good to review it ; ” and she 
pushed the easel blackboard over toward Helen. 

“ No, you write,” said Helen. I want to 
help papa.” 

Very well,” returned Kate. “ Let me see : 
what were her topics ? 0,1 remember ! ” And 
she began to write them on the board : 

1st, Structure. 2d, Date of composition. 3d, 
Authors. 4th, Languages. 5th, Translations. 

As each topic was written it provoked a 
brisk discussion. Delle and Mr. Harkness 
could do little more than ask questions, but 
they did that heartily. Helen and Kate did 
their best at answering, but more than one 
matter had to go over, to be presented to Mrs. 
Meyer. All were intensely interested, none 
more so than Mr. Harkness. 

“It is ten o’clock,” he exclaimed, finally, 
looking at his watch. “ I must be off, but I 
rather suspect I shall be a frequent visitor 
hereafter.” 

“ Annie Lawrence has been sick for two 
weeks, girls,” said Delle, after the books had 
been put away and she was ready to start for 
home. 


A Thank-Offering. 


187 


“Yes, I know,’' answered Kate; “Helen 
and I have been there two or three times. 
She is better now.” 

“Yes, much better. I am going to take 
her for a drive this afternoon. Can’t you 
both go? ” 

“ Yes,” said Helen, trying not to show her 
astonishment. 

“ I may just as well tell you all about it,” 
said Delle, with a little laugh. “ I was there 
yesterday, and spoke of her looking so pale. 
Her mother said she was not getting her 
strength back very fast, and that the doctor 
said she ought to drive every day, but she had 
only been out once. ‘ O, well,’ Annie said, 
‘ I don’t especially enjoy riding in a hansom, 
and that is the only way I can go.’ Then it 
flashed across me that I could take her in the 
carriage, and she seemed so pleased when I 
asked her. On my way home I began think- 
ing. I tell you, girls, I mean to be a 
great deal more thoughtful than I ever was 
before about some things. Now, this matter 
of taking people for a drive. There are so 
many in the world whom one would not call 
really poor who would enjoy a drive.” 


i88 


A Little Leaven. 


“ So there are,” assented Helen. “ In our 
church there are five or six public school 
teachers, and I dare say they seldom get out 
for a drive. They can’t afford to hire a car- 
riage, and even if they could it wouldn’t be as 
pleasant as it is to go out with a friend.” 

“ That reminds me of what Mrs. Long said 
to me the other day,” said Kate. When the 
Grahams left the city this summer they told 
Dr. Long to feel perfectly free to use their 
carriage and horses which they left at home. 
Mrs. Long said they had used them, too, with 
the greatest delight.” 

“ How selfish we have been !” cried Helen. 

“ I especially,” said Delle. “ I feel as if I 
ought to live fast, to make up for my selfish 
dawdling.” 

That afternoon found the girls in Mr. Pres- 
cott’s handsome carriage rolling along the 
Boulevard toward the park, with Annie Law- 
rence leaning back contentedly among the soft 
cushions. 

“ There is actually some color in your 
cheeks, Annie,” said Kate, after they had 
taken the first drive along the lake shore. 

“ I am enjoying this immensely,” she an- 


A Thank-Offering. 


189 


swered. It seems different, some way, from 
a hired carriage, this coming with one’s — one’s 
own friends,” she added, timidly looking up 
in Delle’s face, hardly knowing whether she 
dared call this elegant girl by her side 
her friend or not, and feeling perfectly sure 
she would not have done so three months 
ago. 

Delle smiled on her brightly as she leaned 
over to draw Annie’s wrap more closely around 
her. Then she said, heartily, “ I am so glad 
you are enjoying it.” 

Helen, who was watching Delle’s face 
closely, in the meantime said to herself, “ I 
wonder if Mr. Seelye knows how changed she 
is. And how beautiful ! ” she added, with the 
least possible twinge in her own heart. But 
she only said aloud : 

“How lovely the water is this afternoon! 
The sight of it is almost enough to make a 
body well.” 

“ Every thing is beautiful,” said Annie. “ I 
ought to be very thankful for all the nice 
things I enjoy. I am, too, but most of all 
that I am getting well so fast. I do mean to 
work for the Lord as I never did before.” 


190 A Little Leaven. 

“ When do you start for the Training School, 
Kate?” asked Delle.” 

“I don’t know just when,” answered Kate. 
“ The opening is delayed on account of the 
building not being ready. I must go to see 
mamma first. I am conscience-stricken now 
every time I think of how long I have been 
away from her.” 

I’m sure I don’t know what I shall do when 
she leaves me,” sighed Helen. 

“Well, I am not going this evening, at any 
rate, dearie,” said Kate, lightly. 

Very soon after this the coachman turned 
the horses’ heads homeward, and the lights 
were appearing one by one down the avenue 
as they finally drew up at Annie’s door. 

“ I’m sure I don’t know how to thank you/’ 
said she, turning as her mother helped her 
from the carriage.. “You know what the Lord 
said about doing it ‘ unto one of the least of 
these.’” 

“ I believe this is the best carriage-ride I 
ever took,” said Delle, as they drove on. “ I 
suppose this is what Christ meant when he 
said that if we gave only a cup of cold 
water in his name we should not lose our 


MRS- HUNTLEY AND THE THREE GIRLS. 


I 













<*, LH, i < ^^~Vpi ii /*y. i 




1 


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I 




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A Thank-Offering. 


191 

reward. I always thought before that the 
reward meant some kind of golden crown or 
something when we get to heaven, but I am 
inclined to think it comes right along down 
here.’' 

“ Are you really in earnest about going back 
to New York?” asked Helen, after they had 
gone to their room that evening. 

“ Why, yes,” said Kate, “ I am. Mamma 
has been with auntie at the sea-shore for six or 
eight weeks, but they expect to be back in the 
city by the first of September, and she wants 
me to come.” 

“ Well,” said Helen, “ I suppose I must 
yield to the inevitable sooner or later ; I shall 
feel forlorn enough after you leave me. You 
will be back again before you go to the Train- 
ing School, won’t you ? ” 

“Yes,” said Kate; “I will plan to go this 
way, I think.” 

“ I want to have you stay at least one more 
week,” said Helen ; “I thought we would see 
about getting Mrs. Hudson ready. Of course 
she will need any quantity of aprons, and I am 
going to make those myself. I want to do 
something all myself. The dresses and other 


192 


A Little Leaven. 


things I cannot do, but I mean to select the 
gingham and calico, and I can do all the 
aprons. She will need some white ones for 
Sundays and afternoons, and to serve the 
missionary ladies their lunch, and I mean them 
to be just as pretty as I can make them.” 

“ You are really enthusiastic,” laughed Kate. 

“ Indeed I am. Papa says I may get what- 
ever I think is suitable. Her best dress ought 
to be black ; don’t you think so?” 

“ By all means,” said Kate, with mock grav- 
ity. 

“ Now you are laughing at me,” said Helen. 

I don’t mind ; I shall enjoy every bit of it, 
even to the collars and cuffs. I want her to 
look nice, since she’s ours, — papa’s and mine — 
to take care of.” 


A Lesson. 


193 


CHAPTER XIV. 

A LESSON. 

WANT something to do,” said Delle 
to Dr. Long one afternoon as she sat 
in his pleasant parlor, whither she had 
gone for the special purpose of talking about 
her new experience. 

“ It seems queer for me to want to talk 
about religion to people, but this afternoon 
on my way up here I took special notice of the 
faces of those I met, and I hardly saw a happy 
one. I felt just like asking them if they had 
ever heard of that wonderful Jesus.’* 

“Well,” said Dr. Long, “if you feel like 
talking to them why don’t you do it?” 

“ Why, how could I speak to people on the 
street.” 

“Why not?” 

“ O, because, I could not ; I am sure you 
don’t think I ought to do that ?” And her face 
grew troubled. 

“ Indeed,” said the doctor, earnestly, “ I think 
13 


194 


A Little Leaven. 


it would be a very wise thing to do, and there 
are several ways in which one could do it — 
tracts, for instance.” 

“ O, Dr. Long ! ” said Delle, in a horrified 
voice. “ I never could distribute tracts.” 

“ Why not ? ” asked the doctor, again smiling. 

“Because nobody but peculiar people do 
such things as that. Cranks, you know,” she 
added, with a troubled laugh. 

“ I am willing to admit,” said the doctor, 
“ that it is not a popular method of Christian 
work, but I believe it is a very useful one.” 

“ I don’t believe I ever saw but one person 
at such work,” said Delle, “and that was a 
man that Helen and I met one afternoon three 
or four years ago. Just as we passed him he 
handed me a tract which began : ‘ Young man, 
where are you going?' I shall never forget 
how we laughed.” 

“We are very apt to judge Christian work 
by the mistakes that are made,” said her 
pastor. 

“ I had never thought of tract-distributing 
as being part of Christian work,” said Delle, 
soberly. “ Do you really think I ought to do it? 
It just seems as though I could not go along 


A Lesson. 


195 

the street and hand tracts to every one I 
met.” 

“ I hardly think I should give to every one. 
Don’t you think the Spirit will guide you in 
the matter if you ask him?” 

“ I feel as though I needed special guidance 
in Christian work,” said Delle, with a sigh. 

“ If you need it you will get it, never fear.” 

But she was not to get the special guidance 
from him. 

“ Here is an invitation for you, daughter,” 
said Mrs. Prescott, handing Delle a letter as 
she entered her room an hour later. 

“ Who is Adelaide Morrison ?” asked Delle, 
glancing at the signature. 

She is an old friend of your father’s, 
though we have not seen her for years. Your 
father and I stopped at her home over night 
once on our return from New York. It was 
early in the spring, and I shall never forget the 
delightful old-fashioned house.” 

“ I’ll go, mamma,” said Delle, after reading 
the letter, almost surprising herself at her sud- 
den decision. “ She wants me to come as 
early in September as possible, so I shall have 
to go pretty soon.” 


A Little Leaven. 


196 

Thus it happened that Mrs. Morrison's 
pony jogged to the railroad station one svv'eet 
September evening, with Mrs. Morrison in the 
phaeton, behind, to meet the young lady 
daughter of her old friend. 

“ I am sure this is the friend for whom I am 
looking,” said a pleasant voice at Delie’s 
elbow as she stepped from the train. 

“ I hope I am,” said Delle, feeling at once 
drawn toward the little woman by her side. 
At any rate I am Delle Prescott.” 

“ And your father’s own daughter,” said 
Mrs. Morrison, kissing her warmly. 

The pony jogged off down the shaded vil- 
lage street and soon drew them up the grav- 
eled drive, stopping before the broad piazza 
of an old-fashioned white house. 

“ This is delightful,” cried Delle, looking up 
through the overhanging branches and then 
across the piazza into the broad cool hall. 

It rests one just to look at it.” 

“ I am glad you like it,” said Mrs. Morrison, 
tossing the lines to the stable-boy and leading 
the way up the steps. “ I hope we shall be 
able to keep you for a long, long visit. I am 
going to take you right up to your room, and 


A Lesson. 


197 


in just half an hour I shall call for you to*go 
down to tea, when you will see the rest of my 
family.” 

As soon as Mrs. Morrison left Delle alone 
she sank into one of the very inviting chairs. 
‘‘ It seems as though any one ought to be 
good here,” she thought, looking around the 
dainty room — not so luxurious as her own at 
home, but the air of purity and country fresh- 
ness that pervaded it was delightful. “ I won- 
der if they are Christians?” she asked herself. 
“ Strange I never thought to ask mamma. I 
shall find out very soon, at any rate,” rising 
and going into the little dressing-room where 
she spied her trunk, unstrapped and the side- 
locks sprung, waiting only for her key. 

The evening was very warm ; so Delle chose 
for her evening toilet a white dress, adding 
only two or three dark red asters which she 
drew from a bunch on a light stand by the 
window. There was a tap at the door, and 
Mrs. Morrison presented herself. 

“ How becoming those asters are ! I think 
you will make a good impression,” said she. 

“ It is quite necessary that I should if I am 
to make such a long visit.” 


A Little Leaven. 


198 

“ Don’t you think you ought to give me 
some idea of what I am to face,” Delle con- 
tinued, as they started down stairs. I haven’t 
an idea whether I shall see ten children or 
your husband alone.” 

“You won’t be kept in suspense very long,” 
said Mrs. Morrison, looking back over her 
shoulder. They passed into the dining-room, 
and Mrs. Morrison laid her hand on the 
arm of the elder of two gentlemen who stood 
conversing by one of the open windows, say- 
ing : “This is our friend Mr. Prescott’s Delle, 
Mr. Morrison.” 

“ We are very glad to welcome you, my 
dear,” said the gentleman, turning and greet- 
ing her cordially. 

“ Miss Prescott, Mr. Carlisle,” to the younger 
gentleman, who gave her a hearty grasp of the 
hand. 

“This is the family,” said Mrs. Morrison, 
with a smile in her eyes but none on her lips. 
“ Not very numerous, is it ? But I can assure 
you that I often have my hands full.” 

“ Yes,” said Mr. Morrison ; “Mr. Carlisle and 
I flatter ourselves that we make up in quality 
any lack in numbers.” 


A Lesson. 


199 

“ Here are the rolls and steak. For Belle’s 
sake let us have supper.” 

After they were seated at the table came 
the pause for which Belle watched. In re- 
sponse to a slight nod from Mr. Morrison Mr. 
Carlisle asked the blessing on the food. Even 
the servant behind Mrs. Morrison’s chair bowed 
her head. A thrill of joy and sympathy ran 
through Belle’s heart. 

“ By the way,” said Mr. Carlisle, I had a 
letter from Mr. Blackstone this afternoon, and 
he says that in spite of the strikes and various 
other hinderances in Chicago this summer the 
new building is coming on finely, and they 
have great hopes of its early completion.” 

“ So far as I am concerned,” said Mrs. Mor- 
rison, “ that is what I expected. I have had 
unbounded faith in that enterprise ever since 
I made my first round with my Nickel Fund 
book.” 

‘‘You must be speaking of the Chicago 
Training School,” cried Belle, eagerly. 

“Yes, we are,” said Mrs. Morrison. “Are 
you interested in it too ? ” 

“ Indeed I am,” said Belle, “ and I have 
two friends who talk of little else. But you 


200 


A Little Leaven. 


would not wonder if you knew what it has 
done for them, and for me, too.” 

“Tell us about it; do,” urged Mrs. Mor- 
rison. 

“ There is so much of it that I cannot put 
into words ; so I am afraid I cannot make you 
understand it all." 

She did tell it, though, from the very begin- 
ning — all about Helen’s Nickel Fund book and 
the death of Kate’s father and her call to 
mission work. 

“Marvelous!’’ said Mr. Morrison, with a 
suspicious little quiver in his voice as Delie’s 
story closed. 

“ It simply shows how the Lord will use 
people who are wholly given up to his 
work.’’ 

As for Mrs. Morrison, she only slipped her 
hand quietly through Belle’s arm, as they rose 
from the table, and led the way to the piazza, 
where they established themselves for an even- 
ing in the quiet moonlight. 

The next morning Delle and Mr. Carlisle 
were left alone in the bright little sitting-room, 
whither they had gone from prayers directly 
after breakfast. Mrs. Morrison had just left 


A Lesson. 201 

the room, when Mr. Carlisle said, looking after 
her : 

She is the happiest woman I ever knew. 
She has perfect trust, therefore perfect peace.’’ 

She seems beautiful to me,” said Delle, 
“but I could not tell just where the charm lay. 
She is not handsome.” 

“ Not until you know her,” said Mr. Car- 
lisle. 

Just at that moment she appeared at the 
door. 

“ I have some errands in the village, Delle, 
and thought perhaps you would enjoy a drive 
this morning.” 

“I should, indeed,” cried that young lady, 
jumping up and running for her hat and gloves. 

As they came from the store, after Mrs. 
Morrison had finished her errands, they saw 
three boys, fifteen or sixteen years of age, 
lounging on a large dry-goods box near the 
door. To Delle’s astonishment Mrs. Morrison 
approached them with a smiling “ Good morn- 
ing,” adding, pleasantly, “you won’t refuse to 
read these, I am sure,” as she handed them 
some attractive-looking leaflets. The elder of 
the three came to a standing position and 


202 


A Little Leaven. 


lifted his hat as he took the leaflets from Mrs. 
Morrison’s hand ; but the others gazed at her 
in stupid surprise. All took the tracts, how- 
ever. 

Instantly Belle’s talk with Dr. Long flashed 
into her mind. 

Certain it was that this trim little lady by 
Belle’s side was not the kind of a person that 
Belle had been accustomed to think of as a 
tract distributer. Perfect she was in both dress 
and manners. Even Belle Prescott’s fastidious 
taste could find in her nothing to criticise. 

Mrs. Morrison interrupted her thoughts. 

Paul exhorts us ‘ to be instant in season 
and out of season.’ I often feel that I maybe 
decidedly ‘ out of season ’ in my tract-giving ; 
but, after all, I know not ‘ which shall prosper, 
this or that.’ ” 

Do you distribute tracts?” Belle asked, 
eagerly. 

“ I give out a great many leaflets and cards. 
I suppose that is what you would call it.” 

“I am so glad,” cried Belle, with a breath 
of relief. 

“ Why? ” asked Mrs. Morrison, surprised at 
her interest ; but seeing that some experience 


A Lesson. 


203 


lay beneath it as she looked into Delie’s ear- 
nest face she added, “ Tell me all about it, 
dear. See, I am going to take you for a drive 
down this lovely country road.” 

“ There is not much to tell,” said Delle. 

The very day I received your letter I talked 
with Dr. Long, our minister, about wanting to 
tell people about Jesus— about what he could 
do for them, how happy he could make them. 
People in general seem to look so careworn 
and anxious and unhappy, I think. Dr. Long 
asked me why I did not talk to people if I 
felt like doing it, and I said I did not see how 
I could. He said one way was by tracts. It 
seemed as though I never could do that, be- 
cause I always supposed queer people did such 
Avork.” 

“ I want to tell you a bit of experience I had 
about five years ago. I have a cousin, several 
years younger than myself, who is a beautiful 
woman, accomplished, and very wealthy. 
About ten years ago she was converted, and a 
more devoted Christian I never saw. 

** Five years ago this summer my husband 
and I were traveling in Europe, and we met 
this cousin at a German watering-place. I had 


204 


A Little Leaven. 


not met her since her conversion, so knew 
nothing of her Christian life. She had brought 
with her several large trunks, which I supposed 
contained a very extensive wardrobe. Imagine 
my surprise when I found they contained 
Bibles — that is, copies of a single gospel or 
the Psalms. These she gave to almost every 
one — to the fashionable people in the hotels 
and to those she met on the street, and espe- 
cially to the people in the markets. Soon the 
people came to know her, and it was wonderful 
how hungry they seemed for the word of God. 
Why, I remember one afternoon we were 
walking through the streets and the workmen 
came down from the house they were building 
and begged for one of the * little books.’ She 
sent to England twice for supplies. That 
was my lesson in tract-distributing. It has 
never since been a trial to me. My only 
trouble has been to find suitable ones. For 
that reason I nearly always use cards or leaf- 
lets with Bible verses printed on them. I 
think I prefer them, too, for you know we have 
a special promise concerning the word. The 
Lord says it ‘ shall not return unto him 
void.”' 


A Lesson. 


205 

“ I am so glad you told me,’’ said Delle ; “ I 
believe it will help me greatly.” 

“ If we make the effort to do what the Lord 
wants us to, it is wonderful how he will help us. ’ ’ 

After a little , the conversation turned to 
other things. 

“ You don’t know Mr. Carlisle very well yet, 
but he seems so well fitted for the home work 
that I almost begrudge him to the mission 
field,” said Mrs. Morrison. 

“ Is he to be a missionary ? ” asked Delle, in 
surprise. 

“ Why, yes ; have we not told you ? He 
graduates from the theological seminary next 
June, and goes to Korea the following fall. 
He was studying law when he heard Mr. 
Blackstone lecture on missions one summer at 
a camp-meeting, and the needs of the work 
were so brought home to* his heart that his call 
came that night.” 

“ I did not even know he was a minister,” 
said Delle. 

“He preaches Sunday, and you will enjoy 
hearing him, I know. It was through him that 
we came to know Mr. Blackstone and hear 
of the Training School. 


2o6 a Little Leaven. 

This was only one of many pleasant 
drives Delle and Mrs. Morrison took during 
the beautiful fall days. As Delle watched Mrs. 
Morrison in her home-life and her life among 
those outside of her home she grew more and 
more sure every day that the Lord was 
giving her some of the lessons in Christian 
work she had so deeply felt the need of the 
day she talked with Dr. Long. 

Her visit lengthened and the golden Oc- 
tober days drew on apace. Mr. Carlisle left 
for the seminary, and Delle had suggested 
that it was time she thought of returning, but 
Mrs. Morrison finally prevailed upon her to 
wait until after Thanksgiving, when Mr. Car- 
lisle would again be with them. Delle will- 
ingly yielded, thinking, with a little pain at 
her heart, that it might be the last time she 
could see him. 

On the afternoon before Thanksgiving Delle 
and Mr. Carlisle, who arrived that morning, 
sat before the parlor fire. The snow-storm 
that raged without made the cheerful room 
seem still more pleasant. 

“ What is so good as a bright wood fire ? ” 
said Delle. 


A Lesson. 


207 

“ Nothing, on an afternoon like this/’ re- 
plied Mr. Carlisle. 

“ How time flies, Miss Prescott ! ” he con- 
tinued. “ Is it possible that it is seven weeks 
since we sat under the vines on the front 
piazza ? ” 

“And listened to the birds singing,” said 
Belle. 

“ The birds did sing, I remember. How 
have you passed these weeks. Miss Pres- 
cott?” 

“ I have not done very much,” Belle an- 
swered, slowly ; “ but I have learned a great 
many things. I feel as though I had been in 
a sort of a school.” 

“Who has been the teacher?” 

“ Mrs. Morrison.” 

“ Ah, yes. Then you have been learning of 
‘ the things of the kingdom.’ ” 

“Yes,” answered Belle; “but some way I 
don’t feel satisfied that I can do much, even 
yet.” 

“ Wait till the fragments are gathered up,” 
said Mr. Carlisle. 

“Fragments?” repeated Belle, inquiringly. 

Mr. Carlisle reached for a Bible on the table 


208 


A Little Leaven. 


near, and opening it at the sixth chapter of 
John he read these verses: 

“ ‘ And Jesus took the loaves; and vv^hen he had given 
thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to 
them that were set down ; and likewise of the fishes as much 
as tliey would. When they were filled, he said unto his dis- 
ciples, Gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost.’ ” 

“ I had occasion to study that miracle very 
closely two weeks ago,” said he ; “ and these 
verses opened up to me wonderfully. Putting 
the loaves into Jesus’s hands for him to 
bless and break means for us, I think, the 
absolute surrender of our lives to him, which 
we call consecration. Feeding the multi- 
tude represents the work God has for us to 
do.” 

“ I am willing enough to bring my loaves 
and fishes to Jesus,” said Delle. “ But they 
seem so insignificant. I know so little of just 
what I ought to do or how to do it.” 

“ Don’t spend a moment over that,” replied 
her companion. “ Just bring your life to Jesus. 
He will bless it and break it.” 

What do you mean by breaking it?” 

“ The little loaves had to be broken into 
fragments before the multitude could be fed, 


A Lesson. 


209 


you remember. All lives must be broken in 
some way. We do it ourselves, or Jesus does 
it for us. But if he does it it always increases 
in his hands, and whitens, too, I believe. 
You know the loaves they brought him were 
barley, brown and coarse ; but as they took it 
from his blessed hands I can’t help thinking it 
must have been like that made from the ‘ finest 
of the wheat.’ Such great things he can do 
with us.” 

The quick tears filled Delie’s eyes. After a 
little he went on. 

“And such great things he does for us. At 
first we see sacrifice only in a life of consecra- 
tion ; but after a little the fragments begin to 
gather in our own hands, and, behold, they are 
twelve basketsful ! A man forsakes his chosen 
profession, and what he imagines might be a 
brilliant worldly career, to preach the Gospel. 
It seems loss at first, but it becomes gain. It 
was hard for me at first, but now I would 
rather be a missionary than the ablest lawyer 
in the United States.” 

“ I would too,” said Delle, impulsively. 
Then, blushing at her frankness, she added, 

timidly, “ If I were in your place.” 

14 


210 


A Little Leaven. 


Mr. Carlisle did not seem to notice. He 
went on, half to himself. 

It seemed a great sacrifice to me at first. 
Sacrifice ! ” and his tone spoke volumes. 

There is no sacrifice to those who really love. 
Nay, rather it is sweetest joy. Does the 
mother count as sacrifice the pain she endures 
for the child of her heart ? And how much 
more is this true in any little pain borne for 
Jesus! We bring our little brown barley loaf, 
and lo, in our hand a great basketful of 
white fragments. Paul put his life into Jesus’s 
hands, and sometimes the breaking was pain- 
ful; but how the world has been fed from it ! 
It was broken in prison, and feeds us by the 
epistles he wrote there. No doubt the Church 
mourned and wept, and wondered why their 
leader was taken from them ; but we can see 
that he did more for the Church universal 
than if he had preached sermons every day. 
Nor can we doubt that he gathered up frag- 
ments. Do you remember how he tells that 
in Corinth ‘the Lord stood by him?’ But 
pardon me. Miss Prescott, I am afraid I have 
been betrayed into quite a sermon.” 

“ I like to hear you,” said Delle, simply ; 


A Lesson. 21 i 

** only I can’t see still what I have to bring to 
the Lord.” 

“Just bring yourself. You are doing that? 
Then wait patiently. After he has blessed he 
will begin to break.” 

Delle could not respond. Again the tears 
were brimming. 

“You told me about your Sabbath-school 
class. It may be more to feed one boy than 
to spend a life in Africa. I truly believe, my 
friend, that if we only unreservedly let the 
Lord use us — break us — there will be no loss. 
Some one in God’s needy world will get all 
there is of our lives.” 

“ Can you wise people stop discussing the- 
ology long enough to discuss some apples?” 
asked Mrs. Morrison, entering the room fol- 
lowed by a servant carrying a tray. 

“Try us,” cried Mr. Calisle, making room 
for the tray on the stand near him. 

“ I have a piece of news for you,” said Mrs. 
Morrison to her husband one evening during 
Mr. Carlisle’s Thanksgiving visit. “Delle is 
going to Korea with Mr. Carlisle.” 

“How do you know?” he asked in sur- 
prise. 


212 


A Little Leaven. 


“ Why, because she told me so, not over an 
hour ago. But, for that matter, I have known 
it ever since the first evening after Delle 
came.” 

“You wise little woman,” said Mr. Mor- 


rison. 


The Dedication. 


213 


CHAPTER XV. 


THE DEDICATION. 



“Chicago Training School, Dec. 15, 1886. 

fY DEAR HELEN: Here I am 
finally at the Training-School and 
as nearly settled as one can be in a 
house where the carpenters and plumbers are 
still at work. The opening exercise was a quiet 
little Bible-reading on ‘ the Lord knoweth.’ 
Our Sunday-school lesson for next Sunday is 
about heaven. We were studying it this 
afternoon. Just in the midst of it came a 
most terrible racket from the hammer of the 
carpenter at work on the door of the very room 
we were in. Mrs. Meyer gratefully remarked 
that she was glad the mansions in the Father’s 
house would be all done before we got there. 

“First of all I must tell you of Mrs. Hud- 
son. Mrs. Meyer says she does not see at all 
how they ever could have got along without 
her. And she thinks that she (Mrs. Hudson) 
is one of the ‘ Lord’s thoughts ’ toward her. 


214 A Little Leaven. 

The house being in such an unfinished state 
makes the housework so much harder, but 
Mrs. Hudson seems to know just what to do. 
I am reminded of you whenever I look at her 
aprons. I may say, whenever I look at my- 
self, for that matter. Every thing in my 
room, from the pretty carpet to the dainty 
pin-cushion, is a reminder of your thoughtful 
love. But Mrs. Hudson’s apron reminded me 
of you in a peculiar way, for I remember how 
we sewed and talked those long August 
afternoons. 

“ The new building will accommodate about 
forty girls. It is a perfect wonder to me. 
Just think! It is only about a year since 
you received your Nickel Fund book. Mrs. 
Meyer says this building is just as truly a 
gift of the Lord as if it had come creaking 
down from heaven on ropes and pulleys. I 
fancy there was some genuine hard work about 
it, though. 

“ I would not like to say that I had not been 
homesick the least bit. May be I shouldn’t 
have been if I could have been with Mrs. 
Meyer all the time, but you see there are 
twenty-one of us, so I only get the twenty- 


The Dedication. 


215 


first part of her. And one actually cannot go 
down-stairs without climbing over piles of 
lumber and shavings. 

“ Perhaps you will think that this interferes 
with the classes, but it does not in the least. 
It seems a little hard to have carpenters and 
plumbers and painters and ‘ butchers and bak- 
ers and candlestick-makers ’ plying their busi- 
ness right in the same room when we are talk- 
ing and singing, and actually praying some- 
times, but I fancy after all it is the best way 
not to stop for them. 

We manage to get some fun out of it, too. 
Girls will be girls, you know, even if they are 
studying for mission work. One morning, 
while we were all sitting solemnly at the 
breakfast-table, one of the handsome young 
carpenters had to walk the whole length of 
the dining-room. He was evidently impressed 
by so many ladies looking at him, but he car- 
ried himself very independently. Only, un- 
fortunately, when he got to the end of his 
gauntlet, in his confusion he opened the door 
leading to the subbasement, instead of the 
hall-door by its side, and took one dreadful 
step off into the unknown ! A tremendous 


2i6 


A Little Leaven. 


clatter of carpenter’s tools told us of the catas- 
trophe. We all laughed ridiculously. I be- 
lieve we should have laughed if we had known 
he was half killed. But he popped up in a 
minute, through the door, a little redder than 
before and a good deal dustier, but laughing 
too, and none the worse for his fall. 

“ I am so glad you and Delle are coming to 
the dedication. I could not tell you every thing 
if I were to write a solid week. Since Friday 
my share of the work has been to help with 
the tea-dishes. Dish-washing — imagine me ! 
Of course I don’t mind it at all, only I am so 
awkward. I do try to do it the best I can, 
and it is really a part of my training, so I try 
to be as conscientious about it as if it was 
giving a Bible-reading. Some of the girls do 
try Mrs. Hudson’s patience by their work in 
the kitchen. She confided to me privately 
the other day that it was wonderful to her 
how ‘ shiftless ’ good Christian girls could be 
about their house work. Mrs. Abbott, our 
matron, keeps pretty close watch over us, 
though, and Mrs. Meyer sometimes comes 
around with a bright quotation : ‘ With good- 
will, doing service as unto the Lord and not 


The Dedication. 


217 


unto men,’ she said to me once, in the midst 
of my soap-suds. And I heard her say once 
to one of the girls, with whom Mrs. Abbott was 
laboring about sweeping out the corners, 

“ ‘ Who sweeps a floor, as for Thy cause, 

Makes that and th’ action fine.’ 

If dear, quaint old George Herbert had never 
written another line, I should love him for 
those. My work is going to be sweeping next 
week, and I’m going to make it fine. My 
love to every body. 

Your ‘ girl,’ Kate.” 

Helen and Delle had planned to be present 
at the dedication of the rtew building, so the 
evening of February 16, 1886, found Kate im- 
patiently awaiting their arrival at the Union 
Depot, whither she had gone to meet them. 
The loaded train came puffing in at last, and 
Kate brought the girls home to the school in 
triumph, where Mrs. Meyer and Mrs. Hudson 
received them most cordially. Mr. Meyer de- 
clared that Mrs. Hudson had never before made 
such muffins as she gave them for tea. 

Kate gave up her own pretty room during 


2I8 


A Little Leaven. 


the girls’ visit and took the more spacious 
guest chamber, in which there was an extra 
folding bed. By this arrangement she would 
not lose a moment of the precious visit. She 
had busied herself a whole week before their 
arrival making the room cosy, and every even- 
ing she lit the gas, and tried to fancy just how 
^‘lovely” it would be when they were really 
there. 

Isn’t every thing beautiful here, Helen ! ’’ 
said Delle, after they were comfortably settled 
in their room. 

“ Yes, it is,” said Helen, emphatically. So 
much nicer than I expected to find it.” 

The whole building is a wonder to me,” 
said Kate; ‘^and you just ought to know 
about the furnishing of some of these rooms. 
Several times Mr. Meyer — he had charge of 
that department, you know — had word that 
one or two girls would be in that evening, and 
no room was ready. Well, if you can believe 
it, the furniture came in every time! You 
know, the rooms were furnished one at a time, 
just as people donated the furniture.” 

Every one knows this school belongs 
to the Lord,” said Delle, ‘^and he has only 


The Dedication. 


219 

fulfilled his promise to * supply all your 
need.’ ” 

“ I am anxious to hear about the dedica- 
tion,” said Helen. What is the programme 
for to-morrow, any way? ” 

“ O, we do so hope it will be a nice day,” 
said Kate. “ I feel really anxious about it. 
Mrsr Meyer says, though, that it won’t make 
any difference what the weather is. Of course 
she very much wants it to be a fine day 
too, but she thinks the Lord manages the 
weather still, in spite of the weather bureau.” 

I hope he will send some good people to 
talk to us, as well as a fine day,” said Helen. 

O, he has,” said Kate. The programme is 
excellent. The first thing is a prayer and con- 
secration service, conducted by Esther Tuttle 
Pitchard. She is the great Quaker missionary 
woman, you know. The Friends like this 
school. Then Dr. and Miss Thoburn, and 
Dr. Parkhurst, and ever so many others are to 
speak.” 

Come, now, my children,” said Mrs. 
Meyer, pushing the door open a little, “you 
must not talk very much longer if you are go- 
ing to enjoy to-morrow.” 


220 


A Little Leaven. 


“ Do come in,” said Kate. “ It is so nice to 
have the girls here.” 

“So it is, dearie,” answered Mrs. Meyer; 
“ but I am so anxious for them to enjoy to- 
morrow fully that I feel it my duty to warn 
you not to sit up too late. It is after nine 
now, so I must not stop to talk to-night.” 

The next morning dawned fair enough, but 
before the people had fairly gathered the rain 
began to fall, and it rained steadily all day. 
A subdued wail went up from most of the girls 
as soon as the fact of it being a rainy day was 
fully established; but it was met by Mrs. 
Meyer with the cheering assurance that “ it 
must be all right.” 

As the moments went by and the people 
continued to come, in spite of the rain, keep- 
ing some half dozen people busy taking care 
of dripping umbrellas and gossamers, the girls’ 
faces brightened perceptibly, and they settled 
themselves contentedly to listen to the beau- 
tiful Bible reading Mrs. Pitchard was giving. 

Kate, Helen, and Delle sat together in the 
class-room. 

“ People talk of consecrating themselves to 
the work,” said Mrs. Pitchard. “ The Lord 


The Dedication. 


221 


does not ask us to consecrate ourselves to the 
work, but to him. When we consecrate our- 
selves to him we come in contact with him, 
and he fits us as we can be fitted in no other 
way for his work. What the Lord wants is to 
have us in hand absolutely.” Then in illustra- 
tion of this thought : “ Suppose Mrs. Meyer 
should wish to light this building. She takes 
one lamp and sets it on the stand ; but the 
lamp says: ‘ O, don’t put me where I am so 
conspicuous.’ She puts another one in the 
window, and it objects to the draught, and so on 
with all the lamps. You can readily see that 
if her judgment was best in the matter the 
room could not be properly lighted so long as 
each little lamp should insist upon choosing its 
own place. God wants us to be restful in his 
hands, so indifferent as to what we will 
do or what we want to do that he can place 
us just where he wants us. If the Lord had 
all the Christians in America in his hand as 
thoroughly as that how soon the whole world 
would be illuminated ! ” 

“ That Bible reading was worth a trip to 
Chicago for me,” said Delle, as they were hur- 
rying down to help the girls serve the im- 


222 


A Little Leaven. 


promptu lunch to the people the rain had 
imprisoned. I used to worry so for fear I 
could not find the right work to give myself 
to, and now I see that all I have to do is to 
give myself to the Lord.” 

“ It is so kind of you girls to help us in this 
rush,” said Mrs. Meyer, coming up with her 
hands full of spoons. ** We had planned to 
serve lunch this evening, but this is so much 
extra. Thanks to the generous baskets sent 
in, we shall be able to do nicely, though.” 

Mrs. Hudson’s face was fairly beaming as 
she stood arrayed in one of her beautiful white 
aprons and poured cup after cup of fragrant 
coffee. 

“ Do tell me who that gentleman is over by 
the door,” said Delle. 

“ Is it possible that you have not met Mr. 
Blackstone and Mr. Elderkin yet ! ” cried Kate. 
“ They are about as much a part of the Train- 
ing School as Mrs. Meyer.” 

“ O, yes ; Mr. Blackstone is the gentleman 
that has the Bible verses printed on his 
postal-cards,” said Helen. 

“Yes, and he has Bible verses printed on 
his heart, too,” said Kate. “ Some way, when 


The Dedication. 


223 


I look at him, I am always reminded of the 
verse in Psalm cxix, ‘ Thy word have I hid in 
my heart, that I might not sin against thee.’ 
I must introduce you as soon as this rush is 
over.” 

As for Delle, she only smiled. She knew 
Mr. Blackstone better than either of the girls, 
though she had never seen him before. She 
only asked, “ Who is Mr. Elderkin ? ” 

“ O, he is a gospel singer,” said Kate. “ He 
led the singing this morning. Don’t you 
remember?” 

The friends continued to come for the after- 
noon exercises in spite of the storm. The 
folding-doors were thrown open, and the large 
class-room, the missionary-room, and library 
were packed as closely as possible. Chairs 
were placed in the halls, and still they came, 
filling every vacant corner until even standing- 
room was not to be found. 

‘‘ What shall we do if any more come? ” said 
Mr. Meyer, carefully balancing an umbrella in 
a tin pan doing excellent service as an um- 
brella stand. 

“ We shall have an overflow meeting in the 
dining-room,” replied Mr. Blackstone. 


224 


A Little Leaven. 


Fortunately, however, this was not neces- 
sary. Mrs. Hobbs, who presided through the 
afternoon exercises, right at this point sug- 
gested that they sing, “ Praise God, from whom 
all blessings flow,” for the rain. ‘‘ Other- 
wise,” she said, what should we have done 
with the people ! ” 

The way those crowded people listened to 
the addresses was an emphatic testimony to 
their worth. 

Is it possible that it is five o’clock! ” whis- 
pered Helen, looking at her watch as the crowd 
began to break up. 

It has been delightful,” said Delle. 

“ Has it not ! ” said Mrs. Meyer. ** In spite 
of the rain you looked so gloomy over this 
morning, Kate.’* 

I think now that this rain was a special 
providence,” said Kate. 

May I ask you girls to help again with the 
lunch this evening? I think we shall have at 
least two hundred to serve, and we shall have 
to hasten to be ready for the evening exercises 
at Grace Church.” 

“We shall be glad to help,” said Helen, 
starting off. 


The Dedication. 


225 


This helping serve, passing coffee and sand- 
wiches, and even washing dishes, was a large 
part of the enjoyment of the day for the girls. 
They went into it with zest. 

“ I am afraid there won’t be many out to- 
night,” said Mrs. Hudson, some two hours 
later, when the last guest had been served, 
and she and a dozen girls were taking a hur- 
ried lunch at one of the dining-room tables. 
‘‘ Just listen to that,” as a sudden gust of 
wind drove the rain drops against the window- 
panes. , * 

“ Now I can easily believe that the house 
will be full, after what I saw this afternoon,” 
said Kate. 

The rain fairly poured and yet the beautiful 
church was comfortably filled. 

Dr. Thoburn began his address by saying : 

“ This is the largest audience I ever ad- 
dressed on an evening of such inclement 
weather as this. I expected to find only a 
handful here, but this large company is a 
gratifying proof of the interest felt in this 
movement.” 

Delle never forgot that address. She often 

said that she believed, it was intended for her. 

15 


226 A Little Leaven. 

“ We have reached that point in the world’s 
history,” continued he, “ when it is understood, 
first, that all the Christians must be workers, 
and, second, that training, even a little train- 
ing, vastly increases the efficiency of Christian 
workers. The Romish Church can no longer 
monopolize the organized activity of Christian 
women. I am speaking, no doubt, to many 
shrewd business men. Chicago is a city of 
successful business men. You know how to 
make investments pay. But I have not a par- 
ticle of doubt that the investments you have 
been making in this school are perhaps the 
best investments for your money that you ever 
have made.” 

After illustrating freely and forcibly from 
his own wide experience in India, and from 
his investigation of organizations of Christian 
women in England, the speaker continued : 

“ This school seems like a new departure in 
the country, but we need not be afraid of it, 
or of investing money in it ; for our German 
Methodist friends have been working in this 
way for many years. The school will richly 
pay for itself by the work it will do in your 
own city. These consecrated Christian women 


The Dedication. 227 

can reach souls here that can be reached in no 
other way. We must stop our superfluity of 
talk about reaching the masses, and quietly, 
patiently, and persistently go to 'wor\^ reaching 
thenty one by one, if need be. Moreover, the 
work the school is doing for the distant parts 
of this country is invaluable. But I can per- 
haps speak with most assurance of our work 
in the foreign field. We want trained work- 
ers across the sea, but, even before that, we 
need to test the workers on this side the water. 
However accomplished and successful a woman 
may be, she will be a failure in foreign work 
unless she is a soul-winner ; and this usually 
requires testing.” 

This last sentence came home to Delle’s 
heart. What if she should be a failure ! The 
result was much thinking on her part and a 
decided closing of the lips, showing that some 
decision had been taken. 


228 


A Little Leaven. 


CHAPTER XVL 

MISSIONARIES. 


« ELEN sat by the library window one 
cold blustering day near the first of 
March. The wind whistled around the 
houses, sent the snow-flakes flying down the 
street and piled them in little drifts at the 
street corners. 

Chancing to look up she saw Delle trying to 
make her way up the steps. 

What can bring her out in this storm ! ” 
she said aloud, rising and hurrying into the 
hall. 


“ I hope you are glad to see me ? ’* said 
Delle, as she shook the snow-flakes from her 
cloak. 

“ I’m to have you all the afternoon, I know,” 
Helen answered, leading the way to the 
library. 

“ No, indeed,” answered Delle. “ I am only 
going to stay a moment. I have come to 
tell you some news. I am going back to 


Missionaries. 


229 

the Training School for the remainder of the 
year.’’ 

“What!” cried Helen, facing around. 

“Yes,” answered Delle. “I might have 
stayed while we were there, I suppose, but I 
wasn’t ready. I wanted to come home and 
talk with mamma and consult some other 
folks too.” 

“Mr Carlisle, for instance,” Helen sug-. 
gested, mischievously. 

“ I felt so very keenly my ignorance of the 
Bible and of all kinds of mission work, while I 
was there,” Delle said slowly, “that I made 
up my mind to go back if mamma approved, 
and I felt sure she would. You see, Helen, if 
I am to be a missionary, or a missionary’s wife 
either, there are so many things I ought to 
know.” 

“ You won’t be able to take the course,” said 
Helen. 

“ No, but I shall have three whole months, 
which will be worth a great deal. How fort- 
unate for me that there are vacancies this year 
in the middle of the course. There won’t be 
long, if the school keeps on growing.” 

“I rejoice over Kate’s good fortune in hav- 


230 


A Little Leaven. 


ing you with her,’* said Helen, rather dismally, 
“ but I have the most profound sympathy for 
myself. What shall I do without you ? ” 

You and your father will take a trip around 
the world some day, and come to see us in our 
new mission work,” said Delle. 

“You always could say the most comforting 
things,” Helen said, laughing. “ When do you 
leave for Chicago ? ” 

“ To-morrow evening.” 

“ You came to a sudden conclusion, I think.” 

“Not so very. I have thought of it ever 
since I was there.” 

Now, it happened that evening that Helen’s 
father was absent on business — something very 
unusual for him — and Helen sat alone by the 
library fire. A book lay open in her lap, but 
she was not reading. Neither was she listen- 
ing to the storm raging without. She was 
“ thinking,” she would have said, but the under- 
current of sadness she had felt a little all these 
months was a little stronger than usual. She 
had only heard of Mr. Seelye in the most inci- 
dental ways all these long weeks. She would 
not let herself think of him now. He was 
nothing to her. Nothing but a dear, kind 


Missionaries. 


231 


Christian friend, who had led her to Christ. 
She must always be deeply grateful to him for 
that, but that was all — positively all. So she 
told herself over and over, and yet the old pain 
seemed to return to-night, as sharp as ever. 
She almost envied Kate and Delle. She won- 
dered what the Lord had for her to do. How 
grand it was to be set apart specially for mis- 
sionary work. How lonely she should be when 
they were gone ! and the tears would come. 

“Well, well,” said she, rousing herself. 
“Where am I? In the land of Canaan.? or 
back in the wilderness? How astonishingly 
like those old Israelites I am. IVe left some 
of those Canaanites alive as sure as can be, and 
they’re rising up to trouble me. Lord help me 
to put them all to death, right now ! ” and in 
her earnestness she actually rose to her feet ; 
and then the blessed Spirit brought to her re- 
membrance — as Jesus promised he would — 
that morning on the deck of the St. Lawrence 
steamer when she first found the quotation in 
Mrs. Huntly’s Bible: “The love of Christ, de- 
lighted in, returned, will absolutely satisfy,” 
and the days that followed when she found that 
it did satisfy. “ It does satisfy, too,” she said 


232 A Little Leaven. 

aloud, as a blessed wave of peace rolled over 
her heart. And so the Lord answered her 
prayer, and helped her to put her Canaanites 
to death. She got her Bible, thinking she 
would look over again those chapters in Joshua. 
She was destined to be interrupted, however. 

“Good-evening, Miss Harkness," said a 
voice near her. “ So you are all alone.’' 

Helen sprang to her feet, for it was a voice 
that had been strangely mingled with her 
thoughts. 

“ Mr. Seelye ! ” she exclaimed. 

“ Was it too bold for me to venture in un- 
announced ? James told me you were here. 
I hope I am welcome,” and he held out his 
hand. 

“ Certainly,” said Helen, mechanically, and 
making the greatest effort at self-control. 

“ I only came home this morning, so you see 
I am making up for my lack of leave-taking.” 

Helen was recovering herself. She pushed 
an easy chair toward the fire, bade her caller 
be seated, and asked him about his trip. 

“ I stayed twice as long as I intended,” said 
he. “ I’ve been counting the days till I could 
return.” 


Missionaries. 


233 

“ Is it so very dreadful there ?” asked Helen, 
smiling. 

“ Not so very dreadful there, but so very 
pleasant here,” he replied, contentedly. “ How- 
are the prayer-meetings this winter?” 

Helen answered, and the talk drifted on 
about the church-work, and about Kate and 
Delle at the school. 

*‘IVe been thinking about a great many 
things while I’ve been gone,” said Mr. Seelye. 

The Message has put some new ideas into my 
head about the support of missionaries. I 
think our church ought to support Kate — pay 
the whole expense of her outfit and passage, 
and be responsible for her salary afterward.” 

“ O, Mr. Seelye,” cried Helen, “wouldn’t 
that be splendid ! And we can do it, I am 
sure we can, just as well as not. Papa would 
help. O, has any one told you that papa has 
been converted ?” Helen’s old animation had 
returned. 

“Your father!” said Mr. Seelye, heartily. 
“ I rejoice with you. Miss Helen. Surely God 
hears prayer.” 

So they chatted on, planning a canvass of 
the church to see about Kate’s permanent sup- 


234 


A Little Leaven. 


port in the mission field. Then Helen told 
him about Mrs. Hudson’s going to the school, 
and about her visit and the dedication. The 
restrained feeling was quite gone. It seemed 
very pleasant to have him back again. The 
last few months were like a dream. Finally 
Mr. Seelye said earnestly : 

‘‘You have told me about every one else, 
now tell me something of your own religious 
life. How has the Lord been teaching and 
leading you ? ” 

How Helen wanted to tell him all about her 
Canaan experience, but she could not — he him- 
self and the leave-taking to which he had 
laughingly referred were so mixed up in it. So 
she hesitated, and felt the color mount to her 
face under his steady gaze. Finally she simply 
said : 

“ I have learned some things, I think. I am 
very happy.” 

“ Has the Lord called you to a mission 
field ? ” 

“ No she could say no more. 

“ Helen,” he said, rising and standing be- 
fore her, “ I have been praying the Lord to 
‘ call ’ you to me.” 


Missionaries. 


235 


She sat for a moment with wide open eyes 
gazing up into his. Then the love she had 
buried away so carefully, bursting its grave 
clothes, sprang into life. Her heart gave a great 
bound ; she rose involuntarily to her feet ; the 
room was whirling about her. 

“ I am coming,” she said. 

She had not far to go. 

How much two such people have to say to 
each other, and how much they can say with- 
out uttering a word ! The story was hardly 
begun that evening, though it was not early 
when Mr. Seelye left. 

“ I am the happiest man in" the world to- 
night,” said he to himself as he walked along 
the silent streets. “ And I ought to be the 
holiest. God make me worthy of such a 
gift!" 

“ Thou hast given me Canaan and this too,” 
thankfully sobbed Helen, kneeling in the very 
spot in her room where those dreadful battles 
raged six months or more before. It seemed 
to her that nothing — no, nothing — could ever 
again breathe a ruffle over the deep peace of 
her soul. She was too happy to sleep, so she 
donned a wrapper, went down again to the 


236 


A Little Leaven. 


library, and walked the floor till the late train 
brought her father. The bond between them 
had grown very close since he had found Christ, 
and now she sobbed out the whole story from 
the very first in the dear shelter of her father’s 
arms. 

“ Hush, my darling, don’t cry so,” he said at 
the last. “ I feel that God has greatly blessed 
us in this matter. Mr. Seelye has my perfect 
confidence in every respect. In all my ac- 
quaintance I do not know another man to whom 
I could so willingly give my one treasure.” 

It seemed to Helen that her cup ran over. 

“ But I shall be yours just the same as ever,” 
said she. 

‘‘Yes, I know. But now, darling, we must 
talk to God again about it, and then I must 
send you to bed, or Mr. Seelye will wonder 
where your roses are.” And in tender, trust- 
ful words and trembling voice the father asked 
God’s blessing on his child and her lover, and 
committed them and their future to his keep- 
ing. 

The next morning was still stormy, but in 
Helen’s heart the birds were singing and the 
flowers blooming. 


Missionaries. 


237 


“ I believe my little girl has her sunny face 
back again,” said her father as he kissed her 
good-bye before going down-town. 

“ O papa,” cried Helen, “ have I been 
gloomy ? ” 

“Not very, darling; no,” said her father, 
tenderly kissing the upturned face a second 
time. “ I ’ll be home early to-night, daughter,” 
he added, as he closed the door. “ How like 
her mother she is,” he continued to himself as 
he went down the steps. “ Twenty-two years ; 
twenty-two ! Is it possible ! ” 

“ Dear papa!” said Helen, going slowly up- 
stairs. “ I dare say my face was gloomy — or 
not sunny, to say the least — during that dread- 
ful time last summer.” 

An hour or two later the sun was shining 
brightly and the snow was melting rapidly, 
after the fashion of the snow in March. The 
walks were in a state of general slushiness, but 
Helen ventured out, enjoying the sunshine, 
thinking of running over to Delie’s. Busy 
with her thoughts she walked briskly down 
the block and crossed the street, when, chanc- 
ing to look up, who should stand before her 
but Mr. Van Dorn. 


238 


A Little Leaven. 


“Miss Harkness,” said he, lifting his hat 
and pausing. 

“ Why, Mr. Van Dorn ! ” cried Helen. 

She had not seen him since the day he gave 
her the ten dollars on the Nickel Fund book, 
and had scarcely thought of him, either. Now 
she stopped in genuine astonishment. 

“Yes, it is I,'’ said he. And as he spoke 
Helen fancied she detected a difference in his 
voice, and in the whole man in fact. He was 
not less elegant certainly; he couldn’t be and 
be Van Dorn, but he was more manly. 

“ How long is it since I met you just about 
here. Miss Harkness ? ” 

“ Almost a year,” said Helen, looking rather 
surprised at the question. “You mean the 
afternoon I asked you for your name on the 
Nickel Fund book?” 

“Yes, that time. I have something to tell 
you about it. May I walk with you a little 
way? I astonished myself that day, giving 
my money to a Bible-school,” he continued as 
they walked on down the street. “ Up to that 
time I had never in my life read a chapter 
in the Bible of my own free will. When I 
reached home that evening I kept thinking 


Missionaries. 


239 


about it. Some way I could not put it out of 
my mind, so I hunted up a Bible and read 
chapter after chapter in the New Testament. 
I was astonished at the story of Jesus Christ. 
It had a peculiar fascination for me. Shortly 
after that I was sent West by our firm on 
business, and stopped some two or three weeks 
in Chicago. On Thanksgiving day, business be- 
ing suspended, I happened to drift into one of 
the churches, and the collection taken that day 
was to be sent to the Chicago Training School, 
they said. So you see I had an opportunity to 
contribute again. I went to that church on 
Sunday. You see, I did not know a single 
soul in that great city except in a business 
way, and some way I felt drawn to the church 
that was interested in the Training School, 
though it was little enough I knew about it 
myself. The minister preached a sermon that 
I shall never forget. I left the next week ; but, 
to make a long story short, I have taken the 
Lord Jesus as my Saviour. I wanted to tell you 
of it because you had the little book, and it was 
through your asking me for a nickel that I came 
to think of such things at all. You may not 
care about it, though,” he added, inquiringly. 


240 


A Little Leaven. 


“O, indeed I do care very much,” said 
Helen, stopping short in her earnestness. The 
work that little book started has been wonder- 
ful, Mr. Van Dorn. Kate and Delle, and 
Delle’s mother and father, and my father and 
I have all been brought to Christ through it. 
Only there were a great many other influences 
too. Kate is going to be a missionary. She 
is at the Training School now, and, if you will 
believe it, Delle is going to-night. She’s going 
to be a missionary too ; though not the same 
way.” 

“You can’t mean it!” exclaimed Mr. Van 
Dorn. 

“ Indeed I do. Though it does seem too 
wonderful to be true. I don’t wonder you can 
hardly believe it. I often think, * The Lord 
has done great things for us,’*’ answered 
Helen. “You had heard of Kate’s father’s 
death?” 

“Yes; mother wrote me, and about their 
home being broken up. So Miss Stanley is 
at the Bible-school ? ” 

“ Yes, and Delle goes to-night at four 
o’clock, as I said. Can’t you stop with me 
now?” she asked, halting on the step. 


Missionaries. 


241 


“ Not very conveniently just now. I will 
be at the train, though, if you will allow me, 
as I have business in that part of the city near 
that hour.” 

“ And he is so changed, Delle,” said Helen, 
telling about him. “ I used to think he was — 
well, almost silly.” 

Delle laughed. “ I am afraid I used to think 
him quite silly,” said she. 

“ Isn’t it queer what a change it makes in 
a person when he becomes a Christian,” said 
Helen. “ I never noticed it so much in any 
one as in Mr. Van Horn, though.” 

“You never had a look at yourself, dearie,” 
said Delle. “ You are looking unusually 
bright.” 

“ Well, I am unusually happy, I think,” 
Helen answered, the color rising in her cheeks. 
“ It makes me feel good to think of Mr. Van 
Horn,” she added, hastily. 

“So it does,” said Delle, “and I cannot un- 
derstand how it happened. Just think of the 
amount of good that Nickel Fund book has 
done.” 

“ Mrs. Meyer said she never sent out a book 

without praying over it. And you know there 
16 


242 


A Little Leaven. 


have been a great many other prayers joined 
to hers. I am coming to believe in prayer 
more and more every day. I have brought 
this package for Kate. I shall be at the train 
this evening, to see you off, of course.'’ 

“Did you know Mr. Seelye was back?" 
asked Delle, suddenly. 

“Yes; I saw him yesterday." 

Didn’t she know it ! 

“ Don’t forget to give the package to Kate 
the moment you get there," said Helen, dis- 
creetly changing the subject. “ O Delle, 
darling, how I shall miss you ! " 


Last Words. 


243 


CHAPTER XVII. 

LAST WORDS. 

f T was the last day at the Training School. 
“There that’s finished,” said Kate, as she 
turned the key in her trunk, “and I am 
glad of it. I hate packing. Every thing is ready 
now, I believe. Band-box and budget.” 

“ Except the last good-byes. They are to 
be said yet,” said Delle, who was sitting near 
by. 

“ When do you suppose we shall be here 
again, Delle?” said Kate. 

“Not for many years, if ever,” answered 
Delle, with a little sigh. 

“ If ever I visit the United States I expect 
to come here. Perhaps we shall both come 
when we are old women, wearing glasses, and 
dresses that fit horribly. If missionaries are 
not an old story by that time we shall be called 
upon to speak of the work at every meeting we 
attend.” 

“At the present rate of increase missionaries 


244 


A Little Leaven. 


are not likely to be overabundant in fifteen or 
twenty years,” said Delle. 

Just at that moment Mrs. Meyer appeared 
at the door. 

“ I don’t suppose a time will ever come when 
missionaries will be overabundant,” she said, 
looking at Delle ; “ but the present rate of in- 
crease is certainly very encouraging. Here are 
three letters which came in the afternoon mail 
and they are all from girls who desire to enter 
the school next year. The prospect now is 
that we shall be overflowing full.” 

“ What do you propose to do with the over- 
flow?” asked Kate. 

“ We don’t know what we shall do, but we 
do know that the Lord will provide.” 

“ Mr. Blackstone told me yesterday that 
there was strong probability of their buying 
the building next door,” said Delle. 

“ If the Lord needs it I have no doubt but 
he will get it,” said Mrs. Meyer, smiling. 
“ Here is Mrs. Hudson with your lunch.” 

“Yes,” said Mrs. Hudson, setting the pretty 
lunch basket on the table, “ and I have made 
it as nice as I know how.” 

They knew she was thinking it was the last 


Last Words. 


245 

time she could ever do any thing of the kind 
for them. 

If it is as good as it smells/' said Kate, 
cheerfully, peeping under the lid, “ it must be 
delicious.” 

“You both go to Korea. Well, I am glad 
you can be together. The Lord has greatly 
honored you in calling you to such work. He 
will go with you too, so you will be perfectly 
safe.” 

“ I wonder when we shall all meet again,” 
said Kate ; “ Helen and Mr. Seelye and all 
of us." 

“Probably never until ‘we meet at Jesus’s 
feet,’ ” said Mrs. Meyer, cheerfully. “ But never 
mind, we shall meet then, and that’s the best 
meeting-place of all.” 

The Training School had closed for the year. 
The girls had all left with the exception of 
seven or eight, who were to continue work in 
in the city for all or a part of the summer. 
Mr. Carlisle and Delle and Kate were to leave 
for Korea early in September. Kate was to 
return to her aunt’s in New York to spend the 
summer with her mother, but the last week of 
her stay in the United States was to be with 


246 A Little Leaven. 

Helen, at which time she was to attend Belle’s 
wedding. 

So Kate comes home to-morrow,” said Mr. 
Dexter, one evening at his dinner table. “ I 
suppose she will be as set as ever about that 
missionary business.” 

O dear, yes,” answered Mrs. Stanley, with 
a sigh. “ Her letters are full of it.” 

“Where does she go?” asked Mr. Dexter. 

“To Korea.” 

“ Korea ! That comes pretty nearly being 
the end of the world, now, sure.” 

“ Kate does not realize at all what she is 
going into,” said Mrs. Dexter. 

“ I am not so sure of that,” answered her 
husband. “ I think she has a pretty good idea 
of what her life will be. And I must confess 
that Kate’s readiness to sacrifice herself in this 
way, and her being so happy over it, makes me 
think there must be something in religion.” 

His wife opened her eyes wide in surprise. 

“ Why, Mr. Dexter,” said she, “ we all think 
there’s something in religion.” 

“ I mean something that really touches her 
character,” replied Mr. Dexter. “ Not so com- 
mon a thing among Christians as it might be, I 


Last Words. 


247 

have observed. She has given up, willingly, 
all that most girls live for in this world.” 

“Nonsense!” said his wife, with some 
asperity. “ It’s the silliest proceeding I ever 
heard of for Kate to run off this way to the 
ends of creation.” 

“ It seems to me I remember somewhere in 
the book Kate professes to go by, that there 
is a special command given to go to the utter- 
most parts of the earth. You can’t deny that 
the girl is at least consistent. If I professed to 
believe as she does, that those poor wretches 
over there had only one chance for an immortal- 
ity of bliss, and that chance was to hear about 
Jesus Christ, I think I should feel a good deal 
wrought up about it myself. I never could 
understand how any one who professes to have 
the least atom of belief in the matter could 
settle down content that ‘ me and my wife, and 
my son John and his wife’ are saved, and the 
rest of creation may go to perdition for all I 
care.” 

“ Why, Mr. Dexter,” said his wife again. 
But his remarks hardly created a ripple on the 
surface of her complacent soul, and she reverted 
again to Kate. 


248 


A Little Leaven. 


“ I mean to give her a piece of my mind,” 
said she. “ It’s too ridiculous to be over- 
looked.” 

“ If I remember rightly, you relieved your- 
self pretty freely in that direction when she 
was home last. . Do let the child have a little 
peace the last few days she is with us.” 

Kate found on her return that she was at 
least not opposed by one member of the family. 
But her mother’s lamentations were unceasing, 
and tried her to the limit of endurance. 

Don’t you see, Kate, that you ruin your 
prospects for life ? ” said she, dolefully, one 
morning shortly after her return. 

“The prospect seems very bright from my 
stand-point, mamma dear,” she answered, look- 
ing into her mother’s clouded face with a 
smile. 

“ I declare, Kate, I sometimes think you 
have gone crazy!” retorted her mother. 
“ Bright prospects, indeed I I don’t suppose 
you will see a decent person once a year. If 
it was any place else I think I could bear it 
better. I have heard that in India and some 
other countries where missionaries go there 
are so many English that they have quite a 


Last Words. 


249 

little society ; but Korea ! Why I never heard 
of the place before.’* 

I shall have Delle and Mr. Carlisle at any 
rate,” said Kate, brightly. 

“ I am amazed at Mrs. Prescott. I had no 
idea that she would permit Delle to go. When 
you went to Chicago with Helen the first time, 
she considered it her duty to come to see me 
about it, and advised me to have you come 
home. I am sure I wish I had never let you 
go. I have had no peace since. I should not 
be at all surprised to hear of Mrs. Prescott 
herself going to the ends of the earth as a mis- 
sionary.” Kate did not speak, and her mother 
continued after a pause. “Your father never 
opposed you in any thing. He gave you per- 
mission to go to Chicago with Helen.” The 
mention of her father brought the quick tears 
to Kate’s eyes. 

“ O mamma ! ” she said. “ If papa knows 
any thing about me now I am sure he is glad 
I am going to try to help some one to Christ 
in my own short life.” 

“O dear!” wailed Mrs. Stanley. “Your 
father died and left me and now you’re leaving 
me. I am sure the Bible you make so much of 


250 


A Little Leaven. 


doesn’t command you to forsake your own 
mother, and she a widow,” and the ever- 
ready tears broke out afresh. “ And me in my 
poor health ! I shall die, I know I shall, before 
you come back.” 

“ He that loveth father or mother more than 
me is not worthy of me,” was the verse that 
flashed through Kate’s mind, but she did not 
repeat it. She saw how hopeless the case 
before her was along that Une. 

‘‘ You don’t need me, mother dear,” she said, 
gently. “You have every comfort here in 
uncle’s lovely home, and Robert for company 
besides. But, mother, it’s not too late to 
change even yet. If you really want me, and 
will let me support you, I will secure a position 
as teacher in the home mission work some- 
where, and you can come and live with me in 
a quiet little home — ” 

“O horrors, Kate. Teacher! How dread- 
fully vulgar. Besides, I feel it my duty to stay 
here. Brother and sister are so good to me. 
But you might stay too. Your uncle is very 
fond of you.” 

“ And be a burden on his generosity 1 ” pro- 
tested Kate. 


Last Words. 


251 

^‘Not for long, Kate. You could certainly 
marry well, soon.” 

Kate groaned in spirit. 

“ Would you let me go to Korea, mother, if 
I were to marry a rich merchant there?” 

“ Why, yes ; of course I should,” answered 
the surprised woman. “ That is, if it was for 
your good.” This was an afterthought. 

“ But could you spare me ?” 

“ Why, yes ; of course I could.” Mrs. 
Stanley’s curiosity was thoroughly aroused. 
Was this the explanation of Kate’s infatuation ? 

“ No, no, mother,” said Kate. “ I am not go- 
ing to be married. I only wanted to see how 
reasonable it was, since you would willingly give 
me to a mere human love and keeping, that 
you should let me go at the call of my 
Saviour.” 

How cruel you are, Kate,” cried the dis- 
appointed woman, “ All women have to give 
up their daughters when they marry, but this 
is different ! ” and she lapsed again into her 
handkerchief and her sobs. 

“ Kate’s tender heart was often torn almost 
beyond endurance by such interviews, till she 
was glad, at last, to change the subject when- 


252 


A Little Leaven. 


ever possible. She was helped in many little 
ways by Robert, who was as tender toward her 
as a brother could be, and she unconsciously 
leaned a good deal on her uncle, who steadily 
upheld her in all her plans. 

One evening Robert took her for a drive. 
Up and down the lovely park they drove, Kate 
thoroughly enjoying every moment, yet pray- 
ing constantly with the “motion of a hidden 
fire,” that burned within her breast, that God 
would give her yet some word that would 
reach his heart. She had spoken to him many 
times about it, and^ now he seemed so good 
and noble — all she could desire in every 
other way. He was very gay and chatty this 
evening. 

“ I shall be a rich man yet, Kate,” he said, 
“ if my business prospers as it has. I’ll buy 
the old home back.” 

“ I dare say you will,” said Kate, heartily. 

And you will think of me over on the other 
side of the world, hoping and praying every 
day of my life that you would be truly rich.” 

He understood her, and in a voice that 
trembled a little, he confessed, 

“ I’m thinking about that too, Kate.” 


Last Words. 


253 


“ O Robert ! ” she said, and choked. 

“ Do you see that bloated bond-holder and 
his gray horses?” said Robert, hastily chang- 
ing the subject. “ Now watch while I fly past 
him before he knows it.” And sure enough he 
did fly past him. No more serious talk on that 
drive. But the white dove of peace about her 
precious brother brooded over Kate’s heart. 
He would yet be brought in. 

The days fled by. The whole family were 
about to leave for the sea-shore. One sultry 
evening Mr. Dexter was lying full length on a 
lounge in the library. The day had been a 
hard one. He felt the pressure of his business 
terribly these hot days. The library door stood 
ajar, and there floated across the hall the sweet 
notes of a sacred song. Kate was the singer, 
he knew. No one else in that house sang such 
songs. She touched the piano softly and sang 
softly, but in the perfect stillness the words 
were heard distinctly by the weary listener. 
Their peculiar sweetness attracted his attention 
and held his thoughts. 

“ Like a river glorious 

Is God’s perfect peace, 

Over all victorious 

In its bright increase. 


254 A Little Leaven. 

Perfect — yet it floweth 
Fuller every day ; 

Perfect — yet it groweth 
Deeper all the way. 

“ Stayed upon Jehovah, 

Plearts are truly blest, 

Finding, as he promised, 

Perfect peace and rest. 

Hidden in the hollow 
Of his blessed hand, 

Never foe can follow. 

Never traitor stand. 

“Not a surge of worry. 

Not a shade of care, 

Not a blast of hurry, 

Toucheth spirit there. 

Every joy or trial 
Falleth from above. 

Traced upon our dial 
By the Sun of love. 

“We may trust him solely. 

All for us to do. 

They who trust him wholly 
Find him wholly true. 

Stayed upon Jehovah, 

Hearts are truly blest. 

Finding, as he promised. 

Perfect peace and rest.” 

Kate left the piano in answer to an imperi- 
ous call froqi her mother, but the words of the 
song repeated themselves over and over in her 
uncle’s mind. 


Last Words. 


255 


He even wondered in a vague sort of way 
if there might not be a “ perfect rest ’’ for him. 

“ Not a surge of worry, 

Not a shade of care ” — 

And with the words came Kate’s sweet face. 

I believe in her and her religion,” said this 
New York millionaire, bringing his fist down 
by way of emphasis, “ and I mean to stand by 
her. The child sha’n’t be tormented any more, 
if I can help it.” 

The first week of September arrived. 

Delle and her mother sat alone one after- 
noon, talking of things in general, but espe- 
cially of the approaching wedding. 

“ It is not to be at all the kind of a wedding 
I used to plan for myself,” said Delle. 

“ But you have had your own way about 
every thing, daughter,” said her mother, look- 
ing lovingly on the dear one so soon to leave 
her. 

“ I know I have, mamma dear, and every 
thing is just as I want it, too. You see, I have 
wanted to please the Lord Jesus in every de- 
tail. I believe he will be there.” 

“ I am glad I gave you to the Lord, dear. 
It is hard to let you go so far from me, but I 


256 A Little Leaven. 

would not keep you at home if I could.’’ 
Still the mother’s tears fell, and the daughter’s 
too. 

“ When I was at Helen’s yesterday Kate 
said her mother did not seem any more recon- 
ciled to her going than she did at first. I don’t 
see how she endures it all. It’s hard enough 
for me, even when I have your blessing, my 
Spartan mother.” 

It must be very hard,” said Mrs. Prescott, 
“ but you know that the Lord has said, ^ My 
grace is sufficient for thee,* ” and she forced 
back the tears. 

‘‘ She said her uncle took her right through 
every thing, and he is to pay her expenses to 
Korea. You know our church takes care of 
her after she arrives. He goes to Japan on 
business next year, too, and intends to come 
up and see us. Why, it will be almost like a 
visit home to us.” 

The next afternoon was bright and beauti- 
ful as only an afternoon in the early fall can be. 
Again Helen was rushing along the avenue at 
her usual rapid rate. 

“ I believe I am perfectly happy,” she 
thought to herself, taking a long breath of the 


Last Words. 


257 


pure air. When I think of the girls going it 
makes me sad, but after all I’m glad they’re 
going.” Then her thoughts flew back to that 
first wonderful evening after Mr. Seelye re- 
turned, and she remembered how he said, “ I’m 
glad, Helen, that you were not called to sail 
away to some foreign field, because I have not 
been. But I think we may still be true mis- 
sionaries.” And then he had recalled to her 
mind how the word missionary meant a sent 
one ; and opening her Bible at the first chapter 
of Acts, he showed her that in the Master’s 
plan the Gospel was to be preached not only 
‘‘ unto the uttermost part of the earth,” but 
also in “Jerusalem.” “Notice the eighth 
verse, dear,” he had said. “ ‘ Ye shall be wit- 
nesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all 
Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost 
part of the earth.’ Delle and Kate are going 
to witness in the uttermost parts, and we are 
to stay here, but we will witness all the same — 
witness unto him. We sent ones for that 
very purpose.’ ’ And then when she had said she 
felt so weak to be a witness, he had called her 
attention to the first of the verse, “Ye shall 

receive power.” 

17 


258 


A Little Leaven. 


Thus thinking, and smiling at the happy 
thoughts, Helen reached Mr. Prescott’s house, 
and in a short time presented herself at the 
door of Belle’s room, where she found Kate, as 
she did that afternoon nearly two years ago. 

O Helen ! ” cried Kate, “ I’m so glad to see 
you. I want to show you something.” She 
carefully fished out of her purse a little worn 
leaflet. “ Did you ever see this before ? ” she 
asked. 

“ Why, it is a Nickel Fund leaflet ; isn’t it ? ” 
asked Helen. 

Yes, the one I picked up in this very room 
more than a year ago. I hardly know why I 
kept it, but I have carried it in my purse ever 
since.” 

Do let me see it,” cried Helen. “ I re- 
member how I came over to show you that 
first letter.” 

“ How our lives have changed since then,” 
said Delle. 

‘‘ What do you suppose would have hap- 
pened if the Training School had never been 
started ? ” 

“ I suppose the Lord would have spoken to 
us in some other way.” 


I 


Last Words. 


259 

I am so glad I listened when he spoke to 
me,” said Kate. 

“ So am I,” said Helen. “ Life means so 
much more than it once did to me.” 

“ I found these verses the other day,” said 
Delle, and she read ; 

“ Had Moses failed to go, had God 

Granted his prayer, there would have been 
For him no leadership to win, 

No pillared fire, no magic rod. 

No wonders in the land of Zin — 

“No smiting of the sea — no tears 
Ecstatic, shed on Sinai’s steep — 

No Nebo, with a God to keep 
H is burial ! — only forty years 

Of desert-watching with his sheep ! ” 


\ 


THE END. 



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